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Podcast: How parents can respond to youth nicotine use

  • katiebaker9
  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

Last month, our Community Liaison AJ shared information about youth and nicotine products on Bainbridge Youth Services' podcast “AskBYS".


AJ is a part of our Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention program and helps keep teens and their families healthy by providing educational information about nicotine and cannabis use.

 

AJ himself started smoking and vaping as a teenager. "It took me 10 years to quit using these products because of how much it changed my brain chemistry," he shares.  


AJ is passionate about helping end the youth vaping epidemic. Listen to the full podcast above or keep scrolling to read his key takeaways.

 

Key takeaways


All nicotine products – including vapes and “smokeless” products – can cause serious health problems.


  • Teens who vape are almost 4 times more likely to smoke cigarettes later in life — "sometimes two years down the road from the initial start of using vaping products," AJ emphasizes.


  • Nicotine can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulses.


  • No “smokeless” product is “just water vapor.” All products have oil, flavoring, and added chemicals. As AJ says in the podcast, "a lot of these products are essentially aerosols... when you think of washing a hot pan under water and you see that big plume of smoke, that's essentially an aerosol. Think of [the products] as oil going through your lungs."


  • Youth can get addicted to nicotine faster than an adult – even before they start using regularly. "Whenever you're using nicotine or cannabis vaping products, [it] overwhelms [your] dopamine receptors ... [and] leads to a reliance or dependence on nicotine, cannabis, or both ... When you create a dependence when your brain is still developing ... it makes it a lot harder [to quit]," AJ explains.



Many vaping products are built to appeal to teenagers.

 

  •  The three most common types of vaping products are:

    • Nicotine vapes

    • Cannabis vapes

    • Flavor-only vapes (usually fruit flavors).


  • Vaping products can be disposable, easily hidden, or disguised. AJ warns that "parents should be aware that these products ... are very colorful [and] they have more trendy features ... a new one I saw last night on TikTok was a vape that has a strap on it to make it look like a mini-purse."


  • Most vaping products have not been reviewed for safety by the FDA. "They have been imported from other countries and usually not approved by the FDA for sale in the United States. A lot of the products that we do see on the market ... are not supposed to be there," AJ says.




Youth see their parents and guardians as their most trusted source of information. Be the one to start the conversation.

 

  • To start, AJ recommends "creating a warm and inviting space ... ensuring you have calm body language when you start this conversation." Build a warm and welcoming environment for your teen.


  • Use “I” statements like:

    • I care about you and want you to know you can come to me about anything.

    • I want to be there for you, let me know how I can support you.


  • Learn about nicotine products so you can confidently share what you know with your kids. AJ offers, "educate yourself about the substances that are out there that you are most concerned about and want to address with your teen... your kids trust [you] as a source of information and they listen to you."


  • If your teen does tell you they are using nicotine products, avoid getting angry. Calmly ask why they are using. Help them think through the problem and solve it together as a team.


  • Help your teen develop healthy coping skills to help them avoid turning to using nicotine, such as staying active, meditating, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and talking about what they’re feeling. "Finding ways to stay busy while also maintaining their physical and mental well-being" are some of the best ways to help protect your teen from vaping, AJ says.

 


Want to know more?



AJ encourages parents to "reach out if you have any questions. We love being able to share information and answering it ... We're more than happy to be your resource."


You can contact AJ's program directly at CDP@KitsapPublicHealth.org.






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