Originally published: May 2024
Teens in Alberta are more likely than adults to try vaping (using e-cigarettes). This trend has many people wondering what they can do to support the young people they care about.
There’s growing evidence that vaping is harmful. Most vapes have nicotine and nicotine is highly addictive. Nicotine can interfere with teen brain development and can affect memory and concentration.
As a parent or caregiver, you play an important role in shaping your teen’s knowledge, beliefs, and choices around vaping. What you say and do matters.
Let’s explore 4 practical ways you can help your teen handle vaping.
1. Build life skills
Support your teen in building life skills that help them cope with challenges. Research shows that young people with strong life skills are less likely to vape. Try these ideas:
- Teach decision-making skills. When your teen is faced with a decision to make, talk them through pros and cons. Help them predict consequences.
- Build skills to resist peer influence. Help your teen make a game plan for how they’ll handle situations where someone pressures them to vape.
- Boost media literacy. For example, help your teen spot vaping-related ads in movies, TV, and video games or through social media influencers. Explain how the vaping industry is known for using false marketing tactics.
2. Explain laws that protect them
Remind your teen that there are laws in place to protect young people from vaping-related harms. For example, in Alberta:
- It’s illegal for anyone to sell, provide or offer vaping products to minors (under 18).
- It’s illegal for retail outlets (like gas stations, convenience stores, and specialty vape shops) to promote or display vaping products where minors can see them.
Ask your teen if they think retailers in your community follow these rules. Report any concerns to Alberta Health Services’ Environmental Public Health team. Use this online form to create a case.
3. Have ongoing talks
It’s never too early—or too late—to talk about vaping. Open and caring chats go a long way in helping teens make healthy choices. Try these tips:
- Keep it calm and casual. Have short, ongoing talks about vaping (instead of one big talk).
- Be respectful and non-judgmental. Ask your teen about their views on vaping and really listen to what they have to say. Encourage them to ask questions.
- Help them get the facts on vaping. Point them to BehindTheHaze.ca, a trusted Alberta Health Services site for teens.
- Try talking about vaping when it comes up (like when you see someone vaping or drive by a vape shop).
- If you smoke or vape, be honest about why. Talk about how to make healthy choices.
4. Help them quit
If you find out that your teen has tried vaping, do your best to stay calm. Take a caring (not punitive) approach. These tips can help:
- Ask your teen about their experiences (like why they first tried vaping or what they like about it). Help them brainstorm activities they can do instead. For example, if they tried vaping to relax, they could listen to music instead.
- Tell your teen you’re concerned about their well-being. Ask them about how vaping might affect the things that really matter to them (like making a sports team or saving money).
- Ask your teen if they need help quitting or cutting back. Point them to credible tools for teens, like:
- Quash or Crush the crave (apps)
- I quit for me (self-help guide)
- Kids Help Phone (phone or text-based support).
For more information, go to:
- Learning how to talk with your child or teen about vaping
- Vaping and teens: Your questions, answered
If you need help to stop vaping or smoking, go to AlbertaQuits.ca or dial 1-866-710-7848 to speak with a Quit Counsellor.
