Say What! Presentations
Get the Facts on Tobacco
Tobacco/vape-Free
School Signage
Guides & Activities

Education and increasing awareness are essential to creating the first tobacco-free and nicotine-free generation. Most people don’t realize the negative impact tobacco and nicotine products have on our society and our health. So, we’ve created easily accessible resources that can be downloaded to help you educate your peers and community members about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

These presentations were created by Say What! Teen Ambassadors, Consultants, and staff and were presented during numerous statewide trainings including the Say What! Action Summits and annual Texas Tobacco-Free Conference.

Presentations

Say What! PowerPoints

Behind the Puff: The Truth Behind Vapes The Lone Star State Lights Out Tobacco
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Vapes may look simple, but there’s a lot happening beneath the surface. This presentation unpacks the evolution of e-cigarettes, how they work, what’s inside them, and why those ingredients are so harmful. You’ll also explore how these products are engineered to target youth through high nicotine levels, sleek designs, and sweet flavors. It’s everything the industry doesn’t want you to know in one place.

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Texas has a long and powerful history in the fight against Big Tobacco, and the momentum hasn’t stopped. This guidebook explores the evolution of tobacco prevention across the state, highlighting major milestones and frontline voices. You’ll see how youth have played a leading role in driving real change through a bold statewide movement. Be inspired by where we’ve been and discover how you can help shape what’s next.

From Roots to Risk: The Dangerous History of Tobacco The Puff Playbook: Tricks Big Tobacco Uses to Get You Hooked
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Tobacco has gone from a sacred plant to a global health crisis, but it didn’t happen overnight. This presentation traces the history of tobacco, beginning with its early use over 8,000 years ago and following its rise into a powerful, profit-driven industry. You’ll explore how mass production, misleading marketing, and global expansion fueled Big Tobacco’s ability to spread addiction both in the U.S. and across the world. By understanding this history, readers can see how the past continues to shape today’s health crisis.

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Big Tobacco isn’t just selling products, they’re selling manipulation. This presentation dives into the industry’s deceptive playbook designed to lure in new users, especially youth. From false safety claims to flashy packaging and targeted marketing, you’ll uncover how far the deception goes. Use this resource to better understand the strategies behind tobacco industry messaging and equip yourself with tools to recognize, resist, and expose their tactics. It’s time to see through the lies and stop letting them win.

Tobacco By Any Name Hurts the Same Unseen Threats: Secondhand & Thirdhand Dangers
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Not all tobacco products look the same, but they all cause harm. This presentation breaks down the health risks of every type of tobacco product, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, hookahs, and vapes. You’ll learn how each one affects the body and why none of them are truly “safer” options. Smoked, chewed, or inhaled, the damage is real, and it’s time to face the facts.

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Just because you’re not the one smoking doesn’t mean you’re safe. This presentation explains the difference between secondhand and thirdhand smoke and aerosol, and why all are more dangerous than most people realize. You’ll learn how these unseen threats affect health, trigger conditions like asthma, and linger long after the smoke clears. It’s a powerful reminder that tobacco doesn’t just harm the user, it harms everyone around them.

Smoke & Screens: The Hidden Influence of Tobacco in Entertainment From Ash to Trash: The Environmental Cost of Tobacco Prevention
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Tobacco may not always take the spotlight, but it’s still hiding in plain sight across the media we consume. In this presentation, you’ll be able to explore how tobacco is portrayed in movies, TV, music, and social media, from old-school glamor to modern-day marketing. You’ll uncover how Big Tobacco uses entertainment to stay relevant and influence new audiences. Finally, you’ll break down what’s changed, what hasn’t, and why it still matters.

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Tobacco doesn’t just harm the body; it harms the planet too. This presentation explores how tobacco is grown, cured, and manufactured, and the serious environmental damage it creates along the way. From deforestation and pollution to the industry’s greenwashing tactics, you’ll uncover the full cost of tobacco and how far the industry goes to cover it up.

Say What! PowerPoint Template
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Create your own presentation with our Say What! themed slide deck. Whether you're giving an educational presentation or recruiting members to join your youth group, you can use this template to help you represent being a part of the Say What! movement.

Say What! educational handouts include flyers, fact cards, and infographics that discuss a variety of tobacco prevention topics including e-cigarettes, hookah, smokeless tobacco and much more. You can download these handouts in English or Spanish for any school or community project or as a leave behind when speaking to elected officials, school board members, school administrators, or community organizations and businesses.

Get the Facts on
E-cigarettes & Vaping Get the Facts on
Entertainment Media Get the Facts on
Hookah
Get the Facts on
Smokeless Tobacco Get the Facts on
Smoking
Get the Facts on
Tobacco Get the Facts on
Vaping
Get the Facts on Tobacco

Educational Handouts

Does your school know they are required to be tobacco and nicotine-free? The 84th Texas Legislative session amended the Texas Education Code to include e-cigarettes in tobacco-free school policies. Help your school clearly communicate, enforce, and support a tobacco-free, e-cigarette free campus!

tobacco-free school
signage kit

 

To assist schools in their efforts to communicate their campus is a tobacco-free and vape-free campus, Say What! has designed several resources that can be placed throughout campus.

Vape-free Campus signage
Signage

Tobacco-Free School Signage

Vape-Free School Signage

Guides

To enhance your facilitation skills, tobacco prevention activities and presentation efforts, we’ve created a variety of guides and activities you can view and implement with ease.

Guides and Activities
More Guides & Activities:

For more downloadable resources, guides, and activities for social media, your local media, and working with elected officials, visit the Speak Up page.

» Speak Up Page

Say What! EST. 2011

Phone

 512.245.8082

Mailing Address

Texas School Safety Center

ATTN: Say What Program

Texas State University

601 University Drive

San Marcos, TX 78666

Say What! was created and designed by young people from across Texas and connects students interested in eliminating tobacco from their schools and communities. The Say What! movement is funded by the Texas Department of State Health Services through a contract with the

Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University.