Vaping: Talk Early · Talk Often · Talk Now
Having a positive adult influence is critical to teens’ overall health and well-being. Whether you are a teacher, parent, healthcare provider, coach, mentor or other family member, being a trusted adult to confide in when it comes to issues or problems weighs heavily on a teen’s decision-making. Here are some tips to get the conversation started:
Since e-cigarettes contain high nicotine levels, vaping is extremely addictive. Plus, teens are already more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing. While it’s important to know that the majority of teens are NOT engaging in substance use, there’s an increasing number that are vaping and might be having trouble quitting. Vaping is a national epidemic but there are resources available to help. Encourage teens to seek help and/or services and teach them healthy alternatives to cope with stress.
For more steps you can take to curb teen e-cigarette use, visit: https://e-cigarettes.surgeongeneral.gov/takeaction.html.
For information on what’s going on locally, contact Marian Lopez, Drug-Free Communities Program Coordinator, at marianl@kennethyoung.org.
To learn more about how the Communities For Positive Youth Development is impacting youth in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, visit us at cpydcoalition.org