Health Plan of San Joaquin | Focus Your Health | Spring 2020

Vaping + nicotine: A new kind of addiction Talk to your kids about not vaping You can’t count on being there to help your child say no if someone offers him or her to vape. But by speaking up early and often about vaping, you may be able to snuff out a habit before it starts. Many users pick up the habit before their 18th birthday. Here are the latest facts on this new problem: ●  Teens are seven times more likely to vape nicotine than adults. ●  Kids ages 15 to 17 years old are 16 times more likely to use e-cigarettes than kids in older age groups. ●  Kids report vaping as early as 12 years old. Here are some tips to help you talk to your kids about vaping: Listen . Whether or not your kids have tried vaping, they’ll benefit from a good talk. And a good talk starts with listening. Let them tell you about their world. These starter questions are a simple way in: ●  Do you have friends who vape? ●  Have you been offered an e-cigarette? ●  Have you tried it? If so, what made you say yes? If not, what made you say no? Before you tell kids what you think, find out from them what it’s like to be a kid now where underage vaping surrounds them. Many small conversations. Have lots of little talks instead of a big lecture. The tempta- tion to vape may happen more than once, so the conversation should too. Help kids under- stand that through middle and high school, they’ll face new challenges. Through it all, you’ll be there to talk through smart, healthy life choices. Build a relationship on trust and communication . When children feel like they can talk with you, they are more likely to speak up if they are asked to vape. Listen to what your kids say about their lives and get to know their friends. Be a role model . When parents smoke or vape, their kids are more likely to become smokers too. So if you smoke, set an example by quitting for good! Until then, don’t smoke around your kids and don’t let anyone else smoke in your car or home. Help is available for you and those you love. To learn more about vaping among teens, visit flavorshookkids.org . To learn more about quitting smoking and vaping, call 800.NO.BUTTS or visit nobutts.org . Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; American Lung Association; California Department of Public Health; California Tobacco Control Program; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FlavorsHookKids.org; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HealthReach 1841 8 Focus Your Health