ASPIRE (A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience) is a free online prevention education resource from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. ASPIRE delivers tobacco prevention education to teens and adolescents at a self-directed pace.
While ASPIRE was created over 20 years ago, the program was revised and updated in January 2018 (version 2.0). This update was generously supported by the Hildebrand Foundation. Since 2018, approximately 150,000 students from over 800 schools and organizations in 47 states have enrolled in ASPIRE.
In this latest version, students travel through interactive modules and complete quizzes. They will hear testimonials from former smokers, health care professionals and cancer survivors. The ASPIRE curriculum is available in English and Spanish and aligns with both national education standards and Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).
ASPIRE is not an intervention program for cessation or quitting. The program focuses on changing attitudes and perceptions, not behavioral change. Therefore, if you have students that are using tobacco products, consider using a behavioral intervention program such as those on the additional resources list compiled by our team.
EX Program by Truth Initiative:
EX Program, a text message quit-vaping program designed for young people, is developed by Truth Initiative with the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center. The program is tailored to provide a personalized experience based on age, enrollment date or quit date, and tobacco product type. Anyone ages 13 and older can text VAPEFREETX to 88709 to enroll.
- People using EX Program can also receive mental health support including mindfulness training and self-care prompts, breathing training, and access to a text-based mental health support and a crisis intervention program called Crisis Text Line.
ASPIRE Resources
ASPIRE 2.0 Nationwide Usage
What ~120,000 students* have said about ASPIRE:
96%
say they learned new facts about tobacco from ASPIRE
97%
say that ASPIRE influenced them to lead a tobacco free lifestyle
95%
have a greater understanding of how tobacco use affects their health after taking ASPIRE
*data shown from ASPIRE 2.0 U.S. students taking ASPIRE between 2018-2024
ASPIRE Videos
ASPIRE News
What to know about nicotine pouches
"While nicotine pouches are considered a tobacco product, they don’t actually contain tobacco. Instead, these small white pouches are made of a type of plant fiber called cellulose. Inside each pouch is a blend of nicotine powder, sweetener, flavoring, pH stabilizers and other fillers."
Read the full article on nicotine patches.
Does vaping cause lung cancer?
Vaping seems to be an exception to that rule, as vapes, or e-cigarettes, use electricity rather than fire to convert vape liquid with substances like tobacco, nicotine, CBD and THC, into a vapor that can be smoked or inhaled. But does this difference mean that vaping doesn’t increase your risk for lung cancer and other health problems caused by traditional cigarettes? Is vaping truly a case where there’s smoke but no fire?
This website is based on the school curriculum called ASPIRE (A Smoking Prevention Interactive Experience) developed by MD Anderson Cancer Center with assistance from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Funding has been provided by the National Cancer Institute, the George & Barbara Bush Endowment for Innovative Cancer Research and Tobacco Settlement Funds. ASPIRE has been thoroughly reviewed and included in the NCI's RTIPs database as an evidence-based program as well as being endorsed by SAMHSA and the Cochrane Review.