kid smoking experiment

Lung Science Experiment and Tobacco Prevention Resources

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Below is a lung science experiment with tobacco prevention resources geared for middle school students. Unfortunately all of the free printables have been pulled off of the Scholastic website but you can still access our free lung science experiment directions below!

Before we get settled in with our lung science experiment, which gives a great visual of how smoking affects the lungs check out that Stay Smart About Tobacco magazine above. 

It had GREAT information on the toxic chemicals actually in tobacco products (EW!) and there was even a mini-poster with information for both students and teachers!

Unfortunately Scholastic has unexpectedly pulled all of their anti-tobacco resources off of their s ite so they do not have any of their free printables anymore. But you can head here for more printable tobacco resources.

I had NO idea there were so many chemicals in tobacco products! It was extremely informative to learn these facts—even as an adult! The magazine also talks about electronic cigarettes, which is a big topic now and is growing popular with youth today.

It’s a great foundational basis for kids to visualize what’s in tobacco products, and how tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, have been marketed with features that are appealing to young people.

To set up our lung science experiment which illuminate these facts for kids check out how we did it below. What I love is that these instructions are specifically geared for a classroom-sized group, including reproducible instruction pages that can be handed out to kids.

Here are some related  Lesson Plans and other printable resources on Tobacco Prevention .

Materials Needed for Lung Science Experiment:

• 1 Liter Clear Plastic Bottle

Lung Science Experiment Directions:

To set up our lung experiment we carefully cut the bottom off of our clear plastic bottle. For the healthy “lung” we taped one balloon end tightly around a straw so there were no air leaks.

For the “lung” affected by smoking you will actually need to put a balloon inside of another balloon and then duct tape it to a straw.

This represents how smoking damages the elasticity of the alveoli tissue.

Once you have inserted the two straws with attached “lungs” into the bottle opening you will need to take a small lump of clay and connect/seal the straws to the bottle opening. Make sure to seal them tightly so there are no air holes.

To further help the visual affect of an unhealthy lung you will also need to push some clay down inside the straw of the unhealthy “lung” to mimic the blockage that smoking can cause.

The last step in preparing your lung science experiment is to cut the bottom off a balloon, tie it off, and wrap the cut end around the bottom opening of your clear bottle.

We had several balloons break due to the sharp plastic edges of the bottle so if this occurs you can simply add a layer of duct tape around the bottle to cover the sharp edges and then wrap your balloon around the bottom opening of the bottle.

Once your balloon is set in place add one final layer of duct tape around the edges to help hold the balloon in place.

When you tug on the bottom balloon piece you will immediately notice that the suction created inside the bottle will help the healthy “lung” to inflate more easily than the damaged “lung,” which struggles to inflate properly.

If you appreciate this free content and would like to help contribute in a small way in helping me continue providing free educational resources for others, feel free to send a token of your appreciation via Paypal here . Any amount helps and is greatly appreciated. Shop through your favorite Etsy store or use our Amazon link to make your purchases!

The entire lung science experiment took us only a few minutes to put together!

This campaign has provided invaluable resources for our family to not only understand how smoking affects the lungs ability to function but also to understand what tobacco is actually made of.

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awesome project worked out awesomely

lol i cant get the balloon on the bottom

This is real got! I am legit using this for my Science fair project

You mean *GOOD

LOL SAME HERE

lmao same, I’m kinda worried because what if people think I’m lazy? But then again everyone else in my grade is also still copying from others, some are creative because they want to go to the county. Does anyone else have any other science fair ideas so I don’t worry next year?

I am LEGIT using this for my Sci fair project

looooove it

wowiie, this is pretty good

What would the tested variable be in this experiment? What would the control group be?

It would depend what you are experimenting for but you can make a regular “healthy” lung as a control.

What did you observe in the world that made you ask your question

Going to use this in class

Im so using this for my sci fair. 6th grade ROCKS!

WHOO!! Sounds awesome!

ok, heres the problem. i dont know how to graph my results, what do i graph.

It depends on what you are looking for! Just make sure you set up a control too.

I love this experiment but here’s the catch i don’t know how to write a hypothesis about this but otherwise best experiment that anyone can do!!!!!!!!!!!I still need help to do the hypothesis though.

A hypothesis is simply your best guess as to what will happen in the experiment. Best wishes!

This worked well and for sure using this first my 6th grade science project

You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

This is cool. Me and my friend are doing a science comp think we should do this?

I’m using this idea for my science 🧪 fair. Project

this is pretty cool i think i will do this for my science fair project as well!

Are the links still available?

Hi Wendy – oh no! It appears Scholastic has updated their resources which is causing error links! I have reached out to them and will fix asap! Thanks for catching this!

Your welcome babe

I have an observation tomorrow and i learned about Blood and Breathing and i saw this while we were studying so, i’ll try to do this and see how it goes

Comments are closed.

'Kid Smoking Experiment' Forces Adults To Confront Boy With Cigarette

National Reporter, HuffPost

"Excuse me," asks the boy. "Can I have a light?"

So begins a surprising social experiment in which 9-year-old Jensen, cigarette in hand, approaches a series of smoking adults and asks if they can help him do the same.

"You smoke? Really?!? But you are so young," responds one woman, who dutifully proceeds to offer to light up young Jensen's cigarette.

Another man responds to Jensen's request with a flat-out, "No," then adds, "You're a child ... [I smoke] because I'm addicted."

Yet another woman goes one step further, asking how Jensen came by the cigarettes, then physically taking them away from the boy.

More than one are a tough question after telling Jensen he shouldn't smoke: "Then why do you do it?"

WATCH the full 'kid smoking experiment,' above.

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More in parenting, more in life.

Modules for tobacco & nicotine education

Below is a breakdown of every available activity on this website. These hands-on activities are for educators to teach and engage young people about the harms of using tobacco/nicotine. 

How to use these activities.

The assumption here is that you are somewhat familiar with the Tobacco Prevention Toolkit or with teaching tobacco prevention to young people. 

If not, we recommend checking our Curriculum at a Glance page or using our Curriculum Decision Maker tab at the top of this page to decide what part of the Toolkit curriculum will best for you to use. 

Here are your steps for picking the right activity for you: 

1. Read the Activity Guide/Icon Key to assist you in sorting through all the activities

2. Browse through activities by tobacco/nicotine topic to see which one is a good fit for your class

3. Click on the name of the activity to be directed to a new page with activity downloads and more

Activity Guide/Icon Key

The icons below will give you a better sense of what a specific activity has to offer. This should help you in your decision making process. 

A quick and impactful activity that sparks student thinking and conversation. 

Cell Phone Deprivation

It's Just Water Vapor, Right?

Lico'risk' Activity

Vapor or Aerosol? Does it Really Matter?

What You Know/Want to Know About E-Cigarettes/Vapes

What You Know/Want to Know About Hookah

What You Know/Want to Know About Pod E-Cigs/Vapes

Info-rich activity that provides an overview of key issues and allows for discussion.

BB Activity 

E-Cigs/Vape Pens 101 

Factsheet Fill-In

Hookah Mythbusters

Introduction to Deconstructing Ads

Myths of Tobacco

Smokeless Tobacco Myths

Two Truths and a Myth

Would You Believe

An activity that focuses on specific issues related to the topic and starts deeper conversations.

HookahTellMe (Middle School)

HookahTellMe (High School)

Smokeless Tobacco & Sports

Student-Focused

Student-driven activities: includes discussion, working in pairs or groups, and presenting.

Athlete Before and After

The 'Real'fusal Skills

Smoking Health Map

Wants, Needs, and Addiction

Wheel of Refusal

Creative-With-It

This type of activity pushes students to think outside the box and respond creatively. 

Big Tobacco & Our Communities 

Creative Ways to Say No

Deconstructing and Reconstructing Ads

Spectrum of Addiction

Tobacco Advertising Analysis

Too Cool for Juul: Deconstructing Pod Ads

Warning Labels

What is the Appeal with E-Cigarettes/Vapes?

Project-Based

Project-based activity that can create a greater conversation in the community.

PhotoVoice Project

Recipe of a Cigarette

Activities by Tobacco Topic

E-Cigarettes/Vapes

Nicotine Addiction

Smokeless Tobacco

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'kid smoking experiment' shows different people's reaction to a 9-year-old asking for a light; some responses may surprise you.

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Even wonder how someone who is clearly under the age of 18 got their hands on a pack of cigarettes? Better yet, where did their inclination to smoke at such a young age come from? Now imagine if this 9-year-old boy came up to you asking for a light. Don’t worry, Jensen, the boy featured in the “ Kid Smoking Experiment ,” is not a pre-teen smoker, just a pint-sized anti-smoking activist trying to make a difference.

For the most part, Jensen gets the appropriate response from strangers that he is too young to smoke, apart from the man who fumbles around for a pack of matches before telling the 9-year-old he can go across the street to Rite Aid and get matches for free. Some people even take the cigarette pack away from Jensen while they finish the cigarette in their own hand.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , tobacco remains the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, killing over 480,000 Americans each year. Although cigarette smoking among middle school and high school students declined between 2000 and 2011, 6.7 percent of middle school and 23.3 percent of high school-aged Americans still reported using tobacco products in 2012.

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• Dental Health
• Dermatological Disorders
• Developmental Disorders
• Digestive Disorders
• Down Syndrome

• Gastrointestinal Disorders
• Genetic Disorders
• Genital Warts
• Geriatric care
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Science Projects On Smoking

Despite the health risks linked to the tobacco and other additives inside them, approximately 43 million Americans smoke cigarettes. To learn more about smoking and its effects, you can conduct one of these science projects.

TL;DR (Too Long; Didn't Read)

Smoking cigarettes can leave traces and stains on clothing, teeth, and even organs. These three experiments test to see how and where cigarettes can affect people: how the smoke affects the lungs, how the smell sticks to clothing, and how parents smoking cigarettes can influence the development of an unborn baby.

Sponge Project

To simulate the effects of smoking on the lungs, use a sponge, two jars, and a thin piece of 12 inch long tubing. First, cut the sponge in half and place one half in each of the two jars. Next, cut a hole in the top of each jar big enough for the tubing to fit through. In one of these tops, cut a second hole, big enough for the cigarette to fit through. Screw the lids onto the jars, then place one end of the tubing into each jar, through the holes. Finally, light one cigarette and place it through the remaining hole in one of the jar lids. Make sure the filter part of the cigarette is sitting on top of the lid. After the cigarette is finished burning, unscrew the lids from the jars and pull out the sponges to examine them. The smoke will have left them dirty, just like it would a human's lungs.

Smoker or Nonsmoker

The sense of smell is often all that's needed to determine whether or not a person smokes. To perform this project, five people are required – three of these people must be smokers. Assign each person a number from 1 to 5, write it on a name tag and place it on their shirt. Then have each person walk into the room by themselves. Have students use their sense of smell to detect whether or not the person smells like cigarette smoke. Each student will then write the person's number on a piece of paper and write 'smoker' or 'nonsmoker' by that number. Once the first person leaves the room, another person will come in, and the process will repeat itself until all five people have come into the room, and each student has noted whether or not they think the person smokes. At the end, the five people will come back into the room as a group and reveal whether they smoke or not. Students will compare what they wrote down to the actual results.

Lima Bean Baby

To simulate the effects of smoking during pregnancy, a lima bean can represent an unborn baby. To begin this project, fill three cups with liquid: one cup with water, another cup with milk, and the last cup with tobacco water. (Tobacco water is made by emptying the inside of cigarette into a cup of water.) Place three lima beans into each cup. Daily, examine each lima bean and record any changes that can be seen. After 14 days have passed, determine whether the lima beans in tobacco water grew better or worse than the lima beans in the water or the milk.

• Smoker or Nonsmoker, Lima Bean Baby
• American Cancer Society: Health Risks of Smoking Tobacco
• American Cancer Society: Smoking While Pregnant

Cite This Article

Lee, Stormy. "Science Projects On Smoking" sciencing.com , https://www.sciencing.com/science-projects-smoking-5770510/. 23 April 2018.

Lee, Stormy. (2018, April 23). Science Projects On Smoking. sciencing.com . Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/science-projects-smoking-5770510/

Lee, Stormy. Science Projects On Smoking last modified August 30, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/science-projects-smoking-5770510/

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25 Anti-Tobacco Activities For Middle School: DIYs, Discussions, And Experiments

March 9, 2024 //  by  Mary Aromolaran

There are many anti-tobacco activities for middle school students you can engage in to discourage smoking amongst your students. Middle Schoolers are at an age where they want to imitate many things adults do like smoking and drinking. However, these activities are not good for people their age and have many harmful effects on their health. Adolescent tobacco use and access to tobacco need to be eliminated and here are some practical ways to get your preteens involved.

1. Class Video Time

Have the students watch different videos and movies about lifetime smoking and its harmful effects on their health. Have them watch how it affects professionals and study the evidence on behavior change. By watching these videos, they’ll be further dismayed by adolescent tobacco use.

Learn More: YouTube

2. DIY Postcard Class

Get the kids together, and get creative with many anti-smoking postcards to send out to different people. You increase anti-tobacco information with this activity and raise awareness about the influences of peers and their impact on smoking reduction. Here’s how to make some creative postcards.

3. Vape Cloud 101

Bring a diagram to the class displaying the different compositions of vape smoke and image of smokers. Explain the danger the smoker puts himself in by using a tobacco product. Introduce vaping’s effects on the body and the industry.

4. Saying NO

Have the students think up different ways to say no to smoking. The influences of peers are a major push for adolescent tobacco use, and teaching kids how to refuse unhealthy practices is a good step in curbing this adolescent vice. 

5. Kick Butt

Take the children out to clean the streets and pick up cigarette butts to show the environmental effects of smoking. Have them gather the butts in trash bags for disposal. Counter the positive images of smokers in cigarette ads by showing people the bad environmental conditions caused by smokers.

6. Fatal Figures

Teach your kids they shouldn’t be smoking by showing them alarming statistics. Have your students create a visual aid with ample evidence to show the alarming numbers of adolescent smoking leading to death. Break down norms about tobacco use and spread more messages about lifetime smoking and its effects on smokers with this.

7. Petition Signing

This is of the youth anti-tobacco activities that seek to have your middle schoolers persuade legislation. Get your middle school students to sign petitions to reduce cigarette ads and reduce laxness about smoking laws like this.

8. Anatomy & Smoking Demonstration

The students create visual aids showing the health effects of smoking on different parts of the body. They’ll show different pictures and edits of the anatomy depicting the effects of smoking. This activity will cause an increase in smoker image correction and a fight back against cigarette ads.

9. Addiction 101

Compare the meanings of wants, needs, and addiction to gain a better grasp on peer influence on adolescent smoking addiction. This is one of the youth anti-tobacco activities that expose kids to the road of addiction. Identify those who qualify as susceptible students and those who are non-susceptible students. 

10. Anti-Tobacco Roleplay

Get peers to roleplay as families with smokers. Highlight the efficacy of family communication with actual smoking onset, the difference in effects, and the evidence for behavior change in family norms. They could also roleplay as bosses in cigarette companies and discuss cigarette ads. 

Learn More: Slideshare

11. Cups-In-A-Fence

This anti-tobacco activity sends out a strong message. Creatively advocate putting an end to adolescent tobacco use and its larger effects on people, peers, and the environment. Dissuade each smoker from continuing their tobacco use by seeing how the kids feel about it. Here’s one example of this activity.

12. Refusal Wheel

One practical anti-tobacco activity to encourage middle schoolers to say no to peer pressure is to create a DIY wheel of refusal for the different ways of saying no. Send your class messages about tobacco use and why access to tobacco must be limited. Here’s how to make yours.

13. Cigarette Recipes

Take cigarettes to class and dissect them for a more vivid demonstration that cigarette ads don’t show. Show the kids the chemical components of a cigarette and their harmful effects on the body. Eighth-grade students and peers will learn the health effects of tobacco use and reduce laxness about smoking by learning what’s in each cigarette.

14. Two Truth and A Lie Game

This is another youth anti-tobacco activity that is fun and meaningful. Bring up two facts about tobacco use and one lie. Make sure they’re as outrageous as possible and ask learners to identify the lie. 

Learn More: Speechy Musings

15. MCQ Quiz

Team up with the students and ask them multiple-choice questions on cigarettes as you explain the impact smoking has on society. Cook up questions about the smaller & larger effects of spreading negative messages about lifetime smoking and restricting positive images of smokers. Teach them the importance of tobacco control by stimulating their minds with different quizzes.

16. Anti-Smoking Experiments

Encourage your eighth-grade students to understand the impact on students and how smoking affects them. Get your experiment kit out and try different experiments to ascertain the difference in effects of inhaling several forms of this drug. Watch this.

17. Geography Discussions

Go around the world in your very own classroom. With the help of a world map and sticky notes, discuss interventions that students are aware of as well as the different treatments for adolescent tobacco use. Discuss the attrition effects of tobacco use and condition effects for susceptibility across different populations. This discussion is sure to get heated so buckle up!

18. Opinion Polls

Widen the kids’ minds and reach by conducting different surveys. Have them talk to all sorts of students about different intervention strategies that students would propose to curb smoking. Have them talk to different sample populations to seek out different opinions and record their findings. Here’s how

19. Anti-Cigarette Mosaic

Get your students to send a message to the tobacco industry with these youth anti-tobacco activities . Cut up cigarette ads into confetti size pieces and get some glue. Have students create anti-consumption messaging through art. 

Learn More: Picklebums

20. Essay Writing

Channel the kids’ passion into the written word. Get them to do research about smoking and how it affects families, family norms, behavior, and other societal factors. They can present their essay once complete- pairing it with a poster for more impact! Here’s how.

21. Debate Sessions

Debate sessions never fail to engage everyone present. The kids could argue on the larger effects of the phenomenon, differences in effects, or different ways of intervention for adolescent smoking. Design a fake podium for a little humor and get them arguing with ample evidence, in an organized way. 

22. Anti-Smoking Collages

Have learners make their own anti-smoking collages from different pictures. They could create themed boards like to display around the school or their local neighborhood. Spread a visual message about smoking with this mural against smoking.

23. Addiction Simulations

Get your students to stay away from their phones for at least a week, and use other things to complete their tasks and entertain themselves. This helps to curb addiction and understand a bit of what addiction withdrawals feel like.

Learn More: She Knows  

24. Before/After Photos

Show kids pictures of the before and after of smokers who have decided to quit. Explain the reasons why there are so many changes the person goes through due to nicotine use. Ensure you explain how nicotine affects its users and why they need to stay away.

Learn More: WebMB

25. Educational Drama

Put together a class play with any focal points the kids suggest. Have them play different roles in production and acting. Help them include key points like the legislative impact of smoking, the evidence for behavior change with intervention, and so on. This activity sends an important message out to the public, peers, and families.

Learn More: DGJS

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Children's Health

Study: a cigarette a month can get a kid hooked.

Brenda Wilson

Teens who bum cigarettes every now and then find that addiction can happen before they know it. iStockphoto.com hide caption

Teenage smoking is often thought of as kind of innocent experiment, but a drag on a friend's cigarette may be the beginning of something that will be hard to shake.

A study of adolescent smokers in the journal Pediatrics tracks the course of addiction to nicotine among a group of sixth-graders. After following 1,246 middle-school children for four years, researchers say a pattern emerged of occasional smoking that led to an addiction to tobacco: A cigarette a month will do it.

"When people are just wanting a cigarette, every now and then, they think they just enjoy smoking," says study coauthor Dr. Joseph DiFranza of the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. "As time passes, then they start to notice they will crave a cigarette. So even when they are with someone who is not smoking, something will pop into their mind that will tell them it is time for a cigarette."

He adds, "When they get to the point of needing a cigarette, that means they have an urgent need to smoke and they have to smoke to get it out of their heads."

More Than Just A Taste

A third of the young people in the study had inhaled from a cigarette. Nearly two-thirds of those who'd tried cigarettes said they smoked at least once a month, and half said they experienced symptoms of dependence.

That's how 19-year-old Julia DiGeronimo's habit started at the age of 15.

"I wasn't smoking every day. It was every once and a while and then it became more, when I was 16 and 17," she says. "It was, like, OK I had friends that smoked so it was only with them I was smoking."

She didn't really think of herself as being addicted to nicotine, nor did the kids in the study. It didn't occur to DiGeronomio that she was addicted until she was 18 and realized she was able to buy her first pack of cigarettes legally. Now, she says, she smokes seven cigarettes a day and talks of quitting -- after she finishes her exams.

DiGeronimo was part of a crowd standing outside a club in Washington, D.C. A thick gray cloud swirled out of a heavy-duty ash tray stand, which got even thicker when the band playing inside the club would finish a set.

She's a pretty typical example of how addiction progresses, DiFranza says. He found that there was a sequence of symptoms among the sixth-graders that was associated with the frequency with which young people said they smoked. Two years into the study, a third of the students who had ever puffed a cigarette found that they had little control over the habit. Even if it was only once a month, they lit up.

"What happens is when you first get addicted, one cigarette a month or one cigarette a week is enough to keep your addiction satisfied," says Difranza. "But as time goes by, you have to smoke cigarettes more and more frequently. So people may be addicted for more than a year before they feel the need to smoke a cigarette every day."

Recognizing Addiction

The most common reported symptom was a strong desire for a cigarette -- a good indicator, according to the study, that the student is likely to become a daily smoker -- even if the student was then only smoking monthly. A few even said early they experienced withdrawal. They had trouble concentrating, were more irritable and had trouble sleeping.

Young people can bum cigarettes off friends and not consider themselves addicted. They tell themselves that if they are not buying cigarettes, they aren't hooked. In the meantime, the frequency with which they smoke increases. One day they realize they aren't going to make it without buying a pack of cigarettes.

About three or more years later, a fourth of the students who tried to stop smoking experienced withdrawal symptoms.

Before this study, DiFranza says, most research did not view wanting a cigarette every once in a while as a sign that addiction was starting. This study concludes that people ought to be educated to recognize that this is the beginning of addiction, and the best time to quit.

People who keep smoking -- even occasionally, DiFranza says -- are fooling themselves if they think they don't have an addiction to nicotine.

Related NPR Stories

Your health, the teen brain: it's just not grown up yet, one teen's struggle to quit smoking, teen smoking rates at a standstill.

• College Reviews

CollegeTimes

Kid smoking experiment: how a young boy asking for cigarettes makes smokers re-think their habits.

“Can I have a light?” asks a young boy to strangers in Santa Barbara, California.

The boy – a 9-year old known only as ‘Jensen’ – is undercover, mind you. But rather than working with local police as part of a sting operation, he’s the star of the latest public prank video filmed by the /whatever crew on YouTube.

• See also: Social Experiment: Santa Claus Picking Up College Girls In California With Practically No Resistance

In the video, Jensen is seen approaching various people who are smoking cigarettes in public places, asking them to borrow a lighter. In one case, a man recommends that he visit a nearby drugstore for a “free pack of matches.” But in nearly every other case shown on the piece, the smokers react in shock at his request, and some even attempt to grab his pack of cigarettes away from him .

Though the experiment starts off on a lighter note, it quickly becomes clear there is perhaps a deeper message involved this time around.

“You shouldn’t be smoking,” says one man to the boy. “I started when I was seven years old. I wish I never would have started this, man. Cuz I can’t quit.” Becoming more concerned, he addresses the boy further, “You shouldn’t even have those. In fact, let me have those! You shouldn’t be smoking at all. Period.”

[youtube value=”kxIKZm79JmY”]

The anti-smoking stunt has already been compared online to this commercial from Thailand that employed a similar child-actor setup, among perhaps numerous others such as the U.S. based TRUTH campaign from the early 2000s.

The prank received a nice boost in attention after Ashton Kutcher shared the video on Facebook. Kutcher, who used to smoke up to 40 cigarettes a day according to some blogs, allegedly stopped his habit with the help of an increasingly popular book by Allen Carr, a self-confessed former chain smoker, called The Easy Way To Stop Smoking .

The /whatever team is a running favorite of CollegeTimes . You can also check our coverage of their Reverse Prostitute prank in Amsterdam and their holiday piece with Santa Claus picking up college chicks. The group often focuses on psychology-oriented social experiments that question the status quo.

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Smoking Bubbles Dry Ice Experiment * ages 4+

Dry ice might be one of the coolest substances on earth. Dry ice is the solid form of carbon dioxide frozen to -109 .3 °F and it is mostly used as a cooling agent. It is so cold that it cannot be touched by hands or it can cause frostbite. The coolest thing about it is that when it melts, it turns into a gas and evaporates so there is no water left like regular ice. Did you know you can use it to make bubbles that appear to be filled with smoke? It’s true and it’s SUPER SIMPLE to do in this Smoking Bubbles Dry Ice Experiment!

We recently got some dry ice in a shipment of frozen pizzas. I was so excited to find that it had not all evaporated and there were a few pieces left in the box. I immediately closed the container to preserve the ice and got the other materials ready to make smoking bubbles!

Smoking Bubbles Video

With the below video to see the smoking bubbles in action before learning how to do the experiment yourself:

And don’t forget to check out my NEW book  –  Super Simple Science Experiments for Curious Kids  is full of fun, simple, science experiments you can do at home with materials you already have around the house!

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MATERIAL NEEDED FOR SMOKING BUBBLES DRY ICE EXPERIMENT:

Here are the materials you will need to make smoking bubbles like ours:

HOW TO MAKE SMOKING BUBBLES:

• Start by filling the vase about 2/3 full of warm water.
• Add a squirt of dish soap to the water.

• Watch as the dry ice bubbles in the water and soap bubbles start to form.
• Reach in and collect some bubbles. Pop them and see what happens. When the bubbles pop, smoke from the dry ice floats out of the bubbles creating a cool and creepy effect!
• When the bubbles stop forming add another piece of dry ice and watch the reaction happen all over again!

WHY IT HAPPENS:

The smoke or fog that forms is caused by the dry ice rapidly warming and is a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and water vapor. Instead of the smoke just floating out of the vase, adding soap causes the smoke to get trapped in the bubbles, creating a cool effect when the bubbles pop!

WHERE CAN I GET DRY ICE:

Dry ice can be purchased as most grocery stores or stores like Walmart and Costco.

MORE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS FOR KIDS:

Looking for more fun and simple science experiments for kids? Check out some of our favorites below:

•  DIY Lava Lamps
• Red Cabbage Experiment
• How to Make an Egg Stand Up Straigh t

Kid Smoking Experiment (2014 Video)

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Our new study shows teen vaping is linked to childhood trauma. Here’s why it might be harder to quit

Postdoctoral Researcher in Mental Health and Substance Abuse, University of Sydney

Senior Research Fellow & Program Lead of School-Based Health Interventions, University of Sydney

Postdoctoral Research Associate, The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney

Disclosure statement

Amy-Leigh Rowe is one of the developers of the OurFutures Vaping program, which has been commercialised by the University of Sydney and is being distributed through the not-for-profit organisation, Our Futures Institute. The Health4Life Study was funded by the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

Lauren Gardner is one of the developers of the OurFutures Vaping program, which has been commercialised by the University of Sydney and is being distributed through the not-for-profit organisation, Our Futures Institute.

Siobhan O'Dean does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

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If you experience trauma during childhood, there’s a greater chance you’ll use substances such as alcohol , tobacco and other drugs later. But what does the evidence say about vapes?

Our new study is the first to investigate the links between childhood trauma and vaping habits in Australian teens. Those who’d had traumatic experiences before the age of 12 were more likely to have tried vaping, vape regularly or intend to in the future.

Despite bans on importing and selling vapes containing nicotine, labelling loopholes have meant they’ve continued to be readily available. A study of 423 vapes confiscated from New South Wales retailers in 2022 found 98.8% contained nicotine .

While quitting nicotine is challenging for most people, our research suggests young people with histories of trauma may face extra challenges – and require tailored support.

Trauma and substance use

For people who experience trauma in early life, the consequences can extend far beyond the event itself. Trauma is a form of psychological harm caused by experiences that pose a significant threat to your life or to others’ lives. These may include emotional, physical and sexual abuse, or exposure to natural disasters and serious accidents.

Research links childhood trauma to negative physical and mental health outcomes. This includes higher rates of substance use and addiction .

The reasons for this are complex and may involve a range of factors, including social and environmental influences. For example, young people who have experienced trauma are more likely to have been exposed to substance use by people around them.

But trauma also affects the brain’s development and this may influence whether we are more likely to use substances.

Traumatic experiences can lead to greater impulsivity and risk-taking behaviour . Trauma can also disrupt how we deal with stress, heightening our response to future stressors.

Self-medication is risky for a developing brain

People who have experienced childhood trauma are more likely to have difficulty identifying, understanding and expressing emotions (known as alexithymia ). This is why we often talk about substance use as self-medication – a way to cope with emotional pain and stress.

But self-medicating is particularly problematic for young people. The adolescent brain is still developing, so it is more susceptible to the harmful effects of nicotine , alcohol and other drugs .

Young people become addicted to nicotine faster than adults – and stronger cravings may make it harder for them to quit.

We found a link between early trauma and teen vaping

A handful of studies have found consistent links between childhood trauma and vaping. But research has focused mostly on adults, rather than asking teenagers about vape use. There was only one study about trauma and vaping in Australia and it looked at adult women.

But we know young people in Australia are being exposed to vapes early – and that the number of teens who vape is rising .

Our new study examined self-report surveys from 2,234 Year 7 and 8 students from 33 schools across New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, collected as part of the Health4Life study . The surveys assessed trauma history at age 12 and vape use three years later.

We found those who’ve had a traumatic experience by age 12 are more likely, at age 15, to say they’ve tried vaping (64%), vape regularly (63%) or intend to vape in the future (44%).

Challenges for quitting

Our new findings highlight an even younger group of Australians at-risk for vaping and becoming addicted to nicotine. Many may already be addicted.

Nicotine is highly addictive and quitting can often take multiple attempts due to difficult withdrawal symptoms. People often require a combination of behavioural support – such as counselling – and pharmacological supports, which might include nicotine replacement therapy or therapeutic vapes.

Current guidelines for GPs highlight a lack of research about how to support adolescents to quit. Available evidence is based on research with adults or is focused on tobacco smoking.

New federal laws have made therapeutic vapes – those used to manage nicotine dependence – available with a prescription to those under 18. However, this is subject to state and territory laws.

Other challenges

Having a history of trauma can also compound the challenges of quitting.

We know family and social support are strong protective factors for young people – for example in seeking help to quit smoking .

But this support is less likely to be available to children who’ve experienced violence and abuse, given the most likely perpetrators are their own family.

Childhood trauma can also lead to distrust of health-care professionals .

Beyond GPs and counsellors, young people exposed to early trauma will likely need specialised psychological support to develop healthier coping strategies.

What young people need

We need a mix of universal and targeted prevention strategies.

In 2022-23 we developed a universal, school-based prevention program, known as the OurFutures Vaping Program . It is currently being evaluated among more than 5,000 students in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, and refined in response to student and teacher feedback.

We also need strategies that recognise childhood trauma as a risk factor for vaping, and focus on harm reduction. We need to do more to reduce rates of childhood trauma too, using evidence-based methods to disrupt cycles of abuse.

Consistent and culturally safe methods can help identify young people with trauma histories early and ensure they have access to comprehensive support and trauma-informed care .

Not all young people who are exposed to trauma will experience negative outcomes, but many will – and Australia needs to be better equipped to respond.

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