The landscape of commercial tobacco and nicotine products has become more complex with the arrival of vaping products containing nicotine. Vaping devices are addicting young people to nicotine at concerning rates, with Canada having some of the highest teen vaping rates in the world. In Simcoe Muskoka about one third of students in Grades 7 to 12 reported vaping in the past year, a rate significantly higher than the provincial rate. Thirty-one percent of teens vaped in the past month and for every three that try vaping one becomes a daily user. It is also notable that rates of vaping increase significantly as youth enter high school.
Parents and other caring adults play an important role in helping kids make decisions about their health. In fact, teens say their parents are the biggest influence in their lives.
“Talking to kids early and often is one of the best ways to support young people to make informed decisions and ideally prevent them from becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping,” says Dr. Lisa Simon, associate medical officer of health with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. “Vaping is not harmless. Most vaping products contain nicotine, which is the addictive component in cigarettes. Once addicted, youth who vape are three to four times more likely to start smoking cigarettes.”
To support conversations with kids, the Not An Experiment website now features a Parent Education video available in both English(Hey, Parents Let’s Talk About Vaping) and French (Parents, parlons du vapotage). Both 12-minute, engaging videos are packed with information about what a vape is, the health effects of vaping, the industry’s influence on vaping promotion and youth vaping rates, as well as essential insights into how to talk to kids, access help to quit and where to get more information.
By watching the video, parents and caring adults can be better prepared to start a conversation among themselves and talk with kids about vaping. Kids listen more than you think. For more information or to ask questions, visit NotAnExperiment@smdhu.org.