Brief Tobacco and Nicotine Intervention (BTNI) 

Program Background Information

PL 34-01 (enacted on March 23, 2017), §6406 requires GDOE to provide an educational program on tobacco products to include smoking cessation for any students under 21 in violation of the law. Brief Tobacco and Nicotine Intervention (BTNI) is the process by which this educational mandate is met. All schools are required to use the BTNI when students are found in possession of/use of nicotine delivery products. Currently, Board Policy 430 and SOP 1200-018 prescribe a schedule of suspensions depending on the frequency of violations. Based on the work between GDOE and community partners (Department of Public Health and Social Services-DPHSS and the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center-GBHWC) the Department is able to provide BTNI through psychoeducation to minimize the number of days students are out of school. To this end, schools are empowered with the authority to leverage suspension days for participation in the program. The BTNI program is voluntary; however, if a student and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) refuse the services, they are asked to sign a Declination Letter and are provided with a handout on the dangers of nicotine use. All forms utilized for the BTNI program allow schools to edit and put their official letterhead on them.   

Important Source Documents  

• PL 34-01 § 6406

• Student Procedural Assistance Manual, Chapter 16: Alcohol and Substance Use

  • https://www.gdoe.net/files/user/75/SPAM-15th-Revision-Amended-07-23-2025-.pdf

BTNI Resources

Stanford Medicine: Halpern-Felsher REACH Lab:

• https://med.stanford.edu/halpern-felsher-reach-lab.html

Stanford Medicine: Tobacco Prevention Toolkit:

• https://med.stanford.edu/tobaccopreventiontoolkit/you-and-me-together-vapefree-curriculum.html

Operation Prevention:

• https://www.operationprevention.com/

GDOE BTNI Resource Drive:

• https://www.gdoe.net/District/Department/9Student-Support-Services-SSSD/1526-Brief-Tobacco-Intervention.html

• Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center

• Sanctuary Incorporated

• WestCare Pacific Islands

• CATCH My Breath Vaping Prevention Program

• Fuetsan Manhoben Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (UOG):

  • https://sites.google.com/view/fuetsan-manhoben/homepage

BTNI Forms

• Brief Tobacco and Nicotine Intervention (BTNI) Student & Parent Agreement Student, Parent or Legal Guardian

• Declination of GDOE Brief Tobacco and Nicotine Intervention Services Form 

BTNI Contact Information

Note:  Contact your School-Site Counselor directly for more information.