A good entry point to a conversation is to use an example from everyday life, like a billboard, advertisement, or news report on TV. Not only can nicotine cause physical changes in the brain, leading to difficulty concentrating, these changes can be permanent. Parents can look up resources through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Office of the U.S. «We are studying an early marker of disease, so we don’t have to wait years to study the effects of these electronic cigarette flavors,» said Quiñones. Here are a few responses you can try out if your kid defends or justifies their vaping habit. If you have any questions or want to talk more about this later, I’m always here for you.
- Before the conversation, get comfortable with the key dangers and potential motivations for kids to vape.
- It is crucial to understand and address these negative effects of vaping to protect the well-being and future of young individuals.
- The use of electronic nicotine products among adolescents has become a major concern.
- Instead of wagging the finger, invite your kids to ask questions — and ask them questions of your own, to find what what kind of pressure they’re experiencing.
Developing Healthy Coping Mechanisms
According to the NHS, nicotine can be more risky for young people than for adults, as the evidence suggests that the teenage brain is more sensitive to its effects. The first thing to remember is that what is indirect peer pressure although vaping has been suggested as a way to help adults quit smoking cigarettes, it’s not something for teens to experiment with, or a ‘healthy’ option. The NHS emphasises the importance of protecting young lungs and brains – they’re pretty important organs! You can keep in good health by having a balanced diet, staying active and getting plenty of sleep.
Strategies to Resist Vaping Peer Pressure
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and Department of Health and Aged Care update their sites whenever vaping laws change and can be handy to bookmark. You may have suspected that your teen was vaping long before you had confirmation of it. Chances are you even asked them if they were, and they denied it. Aaron Weiner, PhD, is a licensed, board-certified psychologist, master addiction counselor, clinician, author, and frequent speaker on addiction treatment and issues.
How Do I Get My Teen to Stop Vaping?
Some low vapor products are so discreet they can even be used during class. Another recent study found that more than half of high school seniors believed that vaping delivered just flavoring, even though most products contain nicotine. Accurate information and open dialogue can safeguard your teen’s wellbeing. Alcohol and cigarette consumption have fallen among high school students, but the use of electronic cigarettes, also known as vaping, is steadily increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 20.8% of high school students reported in 2018 that they used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days compared to 1.5% in 2011. Peer pressure often happens during social times, such as the journey to and from school or during breaks.
- Some people use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana, THC oil and other dangerous chemicals.
- Parents should be aware of their children’s activities, both online and offline, and establish clear boundaries regarding vaping.
- All these things make them appealing to underage users, and confounding to parents.
- While it can feel daunting, there is some good news — according to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), tobacco use declined in high school students from 2023 to 2024.
Approaching the conversation: What teens want from parents
And with news of an outbreak of life-threatening vaping illness sweeping the country, and vape use at an all-time high among teens, the issue feels more urgent than ever. Here’s what to say — and not to say — to help your child deal with peer pressure and misinformation, and stay safe. As a parent, it’s essential to understand the consequences of vaping and be able to talk about them with your family. In this article, you will learn strategies that can help prevent your teen from vaping. What parents may not know, however, is that their teens crave a listening ear and a chance to talk freely about this peer pressure.
- By spreading awareness about the dangers of vaping, individuals can help their peers make informed choices and resist the temptation to vape.
- Here’s what to say — and not to say — to help your child deal with peer pressure and misinformation, and stay safe.
- All parents have situations they remember in which they were pressured to do something, like try a substance or cheat on a test.
- Remind them that above all else, you love them, and that’s the motivating factor behind the conversation.
Vaping Prevention & Education
Boundaries and consequences are important, but in this case they are necessary but not sufficient. Positive feedback from behaviors is what kept them coming back to vaping – you can use the same feedback process to help them stop vaping. «Providing them with resources like nicotine replacement therapies and offering supportive environments—both at home and at school—can make a real difference.» Lena Van Der List, a pediatrician at UC Davis Medical Center, reinforced the teens’ views by advocating for an empathetic, education-based approach. The rise in vaping among teens is alarming to pediatricians & parents.
It’s common for teens’ first exposure to vaping to come as an effect of peer pressure, says Dr. Katherine Williamson, a CHOC pediatrician. You do have options for helping them adjust their behaviors, giving them autonomy for their choices, and creating new positive reward systems that makes them feel empowered and motivated to quit vaping, despite any peer pressure. And, if all else fails, you can talk to your pediatrician about addiction medications that can make quitting a bit more manageable. If teens are using vaping to meet an https://ecosoberhouse.com/ underlying need, it’s critically important that we help them find other, healthier ways of meeting those needs and then do our best to make sure that they have positive experiences doing them. Remember – we tend to repeat the behaviors that we find to be the most rewarding! Leaning into positive reinforcement may feel counter-intuitive; we typically learn to punish behaviors we don’t want to see in our children.
Regular monitoring and supervision can help identify any signs of vaping and allow for timely intervention. If necessary, seeking professional help from healthcare providers or counselors can provide additional support and guidance. Vaping poses significant health risks and dangers, far beyond what many initially realize. The inhalation of harmful chemicals and toxins present in Alcoholics Anonymous e-cigarette vapor can lead to respiratory problems, lung damage, and even an increased risk of cancer. Additionally, vaping can result in addiction and dependency, as the nicotine present in e-cigarettes is highly addictive. This can have detrimental effects on both physical and mental well-being, interfering with academic performance and overall quality of life.
Praise and reassurance from you and their peers will reinforce your child’s efforts. See if there’s a teen support group in your area or consider starting one. Recently, the US surgeon general issued an advisory on teen use of e-cigarettes, with experts also stating that it’s reaching epidemic proportions. First, you must decide what you are and aren’t comfortable with.