Vaping advice: How to help kids dodge cigarette, vaping, and pot marketing and stay smoke-free

Whether or not you smoke cigarettes or support legalizing marijuana, you probably don’t want your kids lighting up. But the rise of e-cigs vaporizers like the Juul, and decriminalized pot may make your standard anti-smoking arguments — “it causes cancer,” “it’s illegal” — feel a little shaky. Add in celebrities posting pictures of themselves smoking various substances, and you might wonder: Is it possible to raise drug-free, smoke-free kids in the era of Smoking 2.0? Yes, but it helps to have a little ammunition.

Vaping is an especially tough one, because kids encounter tons of information about it online. According to a November 2019 survey conducted by Common Sense Media and SurveyMonkey:

— Explain how bad smoking is for you. Kids think they’re immune and immortal. The death statistics could be eye-opening, even for the “it won’t happen to me” age group.

— Talk about how addictive nicotine is. Nicotine is really difficult to quit. Discuss the signs of physical addiction and the risk of getting addicted.

— Share the facts. E-cigarettes and vapes reduce exposure to some of the harmful chemicals of tobacco cigarettes, but no one really knows the impact of these products on kids’ health. And studies show they contain formaldehyde.

— Tell them to wait. Tell them it’s important that they wait until their brains and bodies have developed fully before they consume something potentially harmful.

Impart your values. Teens are still listening to their parents, despite much evidence to the contrary. Discuss what’s important to you: good character, solid judgment, and belief in a bright future — all of which are compromised by smoking pot.

— Explain the health consequences. Study after study indicates that pot negatively affects a teen’s developing brain.