The ACE Project is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research project at Florida International University (FIU) that investigates how certain factors can influence a teens’ decision to engage in e-cigarette use and how that decision may affect other risky behavior and the developing brain. The principal investigators, Dr. Elisa Trucco and Dr. Matthew Sutherland, hope to build a better understanding of these issues and improve prevention efforts for adolescent substance use.
A long-term objective of the work is to disseminate information regarding the impact of vaping/nicotine on health and the brain to parents, teachers, counselors, and other professionals working with teens. Principals, counselors, and other community contacts from Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) as well as other local schools have been the main source of recruitment opportunities for the ACE Project. Given the recent headlines and growing interest in the effects of vaping among teens, the team has received numerous requests and invitations to provide educational presentations to students, parents, and school personnel over the past year.
The ACE Project launched its first community outreach event in February of 2018 at Miami Coral Park Senior High and has since completed 60 events (30 recruitment, 30 educational) and educated over 5000 individuals, including both students and school professionals. They have partnered up with 18 local Schools and 11 M-DCPS Student Success Centers. Some of the schools included are Southwest Miami Senior High, Miami Edison Senior High, John A Ferguson Senior High, Miami Beach Senior High, G. Holmes Braddock Senior High, Young Women’s Preparatory Academy, Miami Sunset Senior High, 500 Role Model Academy, Youth Co-Op Preparatory Charter School, Miami Southridge Senior High School, Miami Macarthur Educational Center, Andover Middle School, Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy, and Miami Palmetto Senior High. The ACE Project plans on continuing to expand its outreach efforts to educate the community on the risks of using vaping devices and/or e-cigarettes in 2020!
