The following post is sponsored by Health Canada. As always all opinions remain those of the author.
The sun was out, the windows down, my youngest and I on the way to the mall. You could actually feel the seasons changing. Perhaps Mother Nature was going to give us a break and put an end to this horrid winter. As we chatted about all the things we hoped to find on our shopping trip my eyes were drawn to the car in front of us – a nasty plume of vapour was billowing out the front windows. What was going on in that car? It didn’t take me too long to figure out the vehicle in front of us was packed full of four teens, music cranked, all vaping. Feeling incredibly old I turned to my 17-year-old and asked “How many of your friends vape?”.
The answer was shocking.
The stats regarding teens that vape are sobering. “Data from a recent Health Canada survey showed that 23% of students in grades 7–12 have tried an electronic cigarette.”
It was time to do some reading, some soul searching and open a discussion. Here’s my question to you: how do we begin to educate our children and make sure they know about the risks of vaping? The simplest answer – talk to them. By educating our teens, we can arm them with the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe against the unknown long-term health effects of vaping.
Here’s how you can start the conversation with your teens about vaping:
*Take Advantage of Teachable Moments
As you go about your busy life take advantage of situations as they arise. A less formal approach with your kids is often best and a great way to clarify the facts and correct any misconceptions they may have.
*Ask Questions
Create an open dialogue with your teens and keep conversation going by participating in thoughtful listening and asking follow-up questions. Teens need to be heard.
*Know When to Ask For Help
If you’re not sure where or how to start, consider asking for guidance. Ask guidance counsellors, teachers, or your healthcare provider to talk to you or your teen about the risks associated with vaping.
*Be prepared to repeat the conversation
Teens don’t respond well to be lectured to, working facts into normal conversations and taking advantage of teachable moments may have to happen over a number of talks to make sure they are getting the important message that vaping is not harmless fun. Keep in mind that talking about it can also set the stage for other important discussions about tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other risky behaviours.
An educated teen is a safer teen. Make sure your teen knows the facts: Drive these points home.
*Vaping can lead to nicotine addiction. How? Vaping can expose you to nicotine,which is addictive.
*Vaping nicotine can alter teen brain development.
*Vaping can deliver nicotine to your brain, causing you to crave it more.
*Your teen may try and tell you that not all vaping liquids contain nicotine. This may be true, but for those that do, the level of nicotine can vary widely. Some vaping liquids have very low levels, while others can contain more nicotine than a typical cigarette.
*Vaping can increase your exposure to harmful chemicals and metals. One of these chemicals is formaldehyde. How scary is that?
*Vaping can cause lung damage.
Click here for more information about the health risks of other chemicals in vaping.
A scary fact, at this point, the long-term health impacts of vaping are unknown. Another fact, we can help protect our teens from the dangers of vaping by simply starting a conversation.
If you need more information about the health risks of vaping visit Health Canada, have a read, and then a chat, today.
For more information, visit: canada.ca/vaping
Vaping is a topic everyone should have with their family
It says in the post that vaping can lead to nicotine addiction, but you can get 0% nicotine for the vape pens, I started out at 24% and worked my way down to 0% till I didn’t want to vape anymore, so you can get 0% and there will be no addiction
Talking to you child about this topic is very important
Vaping is becoming such a hot topic these days,we really need to alert users to the negative health effects !
A very interesting and informative article. It sounds like vaping can have very negative health effects on teens. Getting the information out there is so important.
Sharing this information to other parents with teens thanks
I’ve seen pictures of “popcorn lungs” caused by vaping. I’d have to make sure everyone I know, not just the teens, saw that too.
Are teens allowed to purchased vape pens? (i.e. is there an age restriction in stores)?
I believe the national minimum age of access for vaping products is 18 years of age.
The number of kids I know who look down on cigarette smoking but use vapes themselves is shocking!
At my son’s school they just removed the outer bathroom doors because there’s an epidemic of students gathering in the washrooms to vape. This “new smoking” is causing a lot of problems at school & health-wise, & kids think they can just stop doing it at any time. Not the case.
I work in highschools, and talking to kids is so important. Most kids who vape have no idea about the risks.
Thank you for this valuable information Vaping is so harmful
I grew up in a time when parents did not tell their children anything. They had the fear that if they talked about it kids would think the parent condoned you doing it. LOL. I talk to my kids about everything. I would like to think it makes them a stronger person to have the knowledge. Some of the sex questions the kids are asking teachers are amazing. Parents have to learn to talk to their kids. Go for walks and it is amazing what you will learn. There is NOTHING more important then your children.
Great information!
Thanks very much for sharing this helpful information on vaping. It’s important for teenagers to know the dangers.