Recent reports have shown that the popularity of vaping amongst the youth is on the rise. Many teenagers are now turning to vaping instead of regular cigarettes as vaping devices can be more discreet and easier to hide.

As with most things when you’re a teenager, there’s often an element of peer pressure involved which gets most teens first starting with e-cigarettes. If you’re worried or suspect that your teen may be getting involved, read on.

5 tips on how to approach the topic:

1. First things first, what exactly is vaping?

Confused about the concept of vaping? You’re not alone. Understanding what it means may be a good place to start before you approach your teen.

Vaping is the act of inhaling the vapor produced by e-cigarettes or other similar vaping devices, used by many adult smokers as a tool to quit smoking.

Though it can be useful in helping smokers kick their addiction and is a much healthier alternative to smoking regular cigarettes, it is certainly not recommended as a habit for anyone under the age of eighteen to pick up.

2. Remain calm throughout the conversation

If you’ve just discovered that your teen is using a vaping device without your knowledge, try and keep your cool before you approach them.

As angry and disappointed as you may be, your teen is likely to completely shut down if they feel as if they’re just being scolded like a child, rather than conversed with like an adult. The less anger that you show, the more open they will feel about discussing topics like this with you in the future.

3. Listen

The most important thing you need to do when discussing difficult topics with your teen is to listen as much as possible. Teenagers often feel misunderstood and usually hate being told what to do and what’s right for them. By offering a listening ear and trying to understand more about what attracted them to vaping and why they picked up the habit, you’re more likely to find that your teen is willing to listen to you in return.

4. Share the facts you’ve learnt about vaping, and encourage them to learn more

Before you enter the discussion, make sure you arm yourself with all the necessary knowledge about vaping that you think your teen should know.

Often teenagers will get involved with such habits by succumbing to peer pressure and without much research. Make sure that your teen leaves the conversation more aware about the risk of becoming addicted to vaping.

There is also a lot of confusion around the impact of vaping on your health. People often consider vaping to be completely fine for their bodies as the nicotine levels are usually miniscule when compared to regular cigarettes.

Though it is healthier than smoking, studies are still being done to understand the long term consequences of frequent vaping on our health. Make sure that your teen isn’t under the misconception that vaping is a completely healthy habit.

5. Try not to explicitly tell your teen what to do

This can be the most difficult one for most parents to put into practice, especially when you’re worried about your child’s health or safety. However, we’re all well aware of how much teens dislike being told what to do.

Most people are feeling rebellious at this stage of their life, so try to remember how you felt when you were that age!

If you share your opinion and make them aware of the health issues around vaping, you’re likely to receive a more positive reaction than if you explicitly tell them to stop.

*Collaborative post