So you’re ready to talk to your teenager about vaping

A bearded man vaping 630x420

Parents of teens these days have to worry about so much. Alcohol, drugs, bullying, mental illness, underage sex, school stress, smoking … and vaping? Whether you’re a vaper or not, your kids are probably exposed to vapes and vaping through the media or their friend circle.

That means there will come a time when you need to have a conversation about e-cigarettes and vaping. Here’s some tips from us to you for when that time comes:

1. Avoid the lecture

Teenagers are notoriously curious. Just knowing something is bad for them will often make them keen to try it. So chances are your teen will probably try vaping at some point, if they haven’t already.

Arm yourself with facts about vaping (you can find heaps here on our blog about how safe it is), but also try to avoid a boring lecture that ends up having the opposite effect.

Get them talking

Engage with your teenager by getting them to talk about vaping instead. Ask them what attracts them about vaping? Are they enjoying it? What do they like about it? Ask them about their views about vaping in the media and vape culture. Teens are often really well informed and you might be surprised by their answers. Build the conversation around their answers.

Keep a measured response

If you find out your child is vaping, going all out nuclear probably won’t have the desire you’re after. Try to remember that vaping is NOT smoking, or another heinous or horrible crime.

While it pays to concede to your teenager that vaping isn’t as dangerous as smoking or illegal drugs, be aware of the dangers and the potential for addiction and take steps to set boundaries and help your teen monitor their vape use (perhaps by switching to non-nicotine e-juices).

Do your best

You can’t be everywhere at once and you can’t shield your teen from every danger out there. The scary thing is, your word doesn’t carry much power anymore, especially when it comes to things your teen wants to do whether you like them or not.

Outright banning of anything to a teen tends to have poor results. It’s often far more beneficial for you both to treat them as an adult (as tough as it may be!) and respect their choices, while placing boundaries on their decisions.

Try to stay calm. Remember that many teens pick up habits during their formative years they drop soon after, especially as trends wane. Make sure you understand what you’re talking about when it comes to vaping, and give your teen a chance to explain and discuss their decisions. It’s gonna be okay.

To understand more about vaping, check out our beginners’ guide, and our vape dictionary.

At NZVAPOR we stock a range of vaping products for you to choose from, so you can experiment and find the perfect mix and flavour for you to help you quit smoking.

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