Don’t want your child to vape? How to put off your child from vaping

Many of us will be glad to know that the figures for tobacco cigarette smoking, especially among teens, have dropped notably over the period of last few years. These dropping numbers are a great thing because the teens who tend not to smoke before they’re at least 20 are less likely to become a permanent smoker throughout their lives.

Parental attitudes towards vaping

While we cherish the decline of a bad habit amongst kids, there is another new trend that is speedily multiplying among teenagers – vaping. Two different approaches towards this newly popular trend can be explained. Parents and guardians getting alarmed that their kids might be getting involved with another bad habit instead of smoking will be the first one. While e-cig usage might not introduce teenagers to hundreds of harmful chemicals like the combustible tobacco cigarettes, there still are many health risks that they might get exposed to by the activity. A lot of experts claim that e-cigs can be a gateway to traditional smoking and many others argue that it is the other way round but the debate continues.

What the research says

The other view point is relief that at least teenagers are safe from the harms of smoking regular tobacco cigarettes. Attitudes towards vaping are still mixed. Some take the view that the dropping figures of conventional smoking indicate that vaping does not lead people into tobacco addiction but in fact keeps would-be smokers away from the “real” threat. However, others are concerned about the lack of evidence and research on long-term health risks. The stance from Hopkins University is clear: Emerging data suggests links to chronic lung disease and asthma, as well as associations between dual use of e-cigarettes and smoking with cardiovascular disease.

Lack of experimental evidence is the sole cause of confusion regarding what should be the parental approach towards the topic. In the meantime, a lot of health professionals are asking for the implementation of strict regulation regarding the usage among underage teens, online sales and marketing as well as celebrity endorsements that make the products more appealing to immature minds.

Under age restrictions

In the UK, you must be 18 years old or above to use and purchase vaping products.  In the US it is now 21. While many of the online e-liquid stores highlight age-restriction on their own and all of us would agree that there should be laws insisting the usage among underage kids to be illegal.

Despite this legislation the current statistics are as follows:  in 2022, 7.0% of 11-17 year olds were current users, compared to 3.3% in 2021 and 4.1% in 2020. 10.4% of 11-15 year olds have tried vaping, compared to 29.1% of 16-17 year olds.

Why is vaping so addictive?

The amount of nicotine in vaping really is only about the same as the amount in one cigarette. It may be less harmful than smoking, but it’s also still going to be very addictive. This means that vaping could quickly become an important part of life. Another reason why vaping is likely just as addictive is because it’s also designed to look a lot like smoking. You have to use the same type of product and hold it in the same way that you smoke. This is so that vaping mimics normal cigarette behaviour, which is a sign that it could be just as addictive.

How to put your child off vapes

If you want to keep your child away from vaping, you need to make it as difficult as possible to get them started. There are a few ways to do this.

  • The first and easiest way is to vape with your child and make sure that they know why vaping is bad for them. Have an open and honest discussion around the topic, be present and keep the lines of communication open.  The Truth Initiative website is full of great resources to help you with this.
  • Equip them with the resources and knowledge they need to make an informed decision. Teach them about advertising and about how vaping is being glamourised by the media. Teach them how the sweet scents and flvaours  are being used to manipulate them and lure children in.
  • Keep your vaping products out of sight and out of reach. This will make it much harder for your child to get their hands on it it vape in front of them yourself if you already vape – remember children learn by mirroring.

Some people recommend actually vaping with your child. This will suddenly make it seem very uncool and no longer the forbidden fruit. It lets them try it under your guidance, as opposed to with their peers when it seems exciting and even glamourised.

Conclusion

Vaping is extremely addictive. It could quickly become part of a young person’s life and also lead to a nasty vaping habit that could last a lifetime. If you want to keep your child away from vaping, it’s important to keep it as difficult as possible to get started in the first place by following the steps above.

5 comments

  1. I vape having given up smoking in November (8 months now!) and so I am pro vape but if you arent a smoker than dont start either no matter what age!

  2. We’ve unsubscribed from your blog.

    Please let us know when you are able to participate in the community forum @ OurParentingSpot.net & we’ll be happy to support you again!

  3. Thanks for sharing this. Among the positive effects on health, switching to vaporizing definitely saves money in the long run, even if the upfront cost of purchasing a rig may be a little steep. Couple that with the lack of actual smoke entering the lungs, and the switch to vaping certainly looks more attractive.

  4. I switch to e-cigs few years back I was a addicted smoker and got some health issues so decide to quit smoking and switch to vaping and I feel much better now. But its very important to take care of your health first.

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