Everyone knows smoking is bad. It is highly addictive and has a whole host of health and mortality problems (all of which make you dead sooner). And it is even worse than has been previously thought. Even teenagers know it (with the help of longstanding and coordinated campaigns by the US Government and the American Cancer Society to educate and discourage teens from smoking). Among teenagers, cigarette use decreased from 15.8% in 2011 down to 9.3% in 2015 (CDC). Similarly, though less so, folks generally know that smokeless tobacco like dip and chew also have a host of health issues including mouth, tongue, gum, esophageal and pancreatic cancers (CDC). It should go without saying that using tobacco, especially when young, is a bad idea.
But.
The wonders of technology now make it possible to smoke without burning tobacco! It’s known as Vaping and it is all the rage. From 2011 to 2015, vaping use by 12th graders went from 4. 7% to 17.2% (HHS). More teenagers vape than smoke cigarettes. As parents, you need to know about it.
What is vaping?
Vaping is smoking using an artificial cigarette device. E-cigarettes, or as they are more commonly known, Vapes, are powered by a battery that heats up a liquid. This creates a vapor that is then inhaled. The liquid contains a range of ingredients that includes nicotine and various flavorings and scents. You can purchase liquids with different levels of nicotine and an astonishing range of “flavors” (both with and without nicotine). Vapes can cost between $100 and $200. The vaping liquid (10ml) will last from 2-4 weeks depending upon the frequency and volume smoked. For cigarette smokers, it has been estimated that 1mg of juice is the equivalent of a pack of cigarettes. (Here is a 2013 Washington Post article that provides a great overview.)
Should you worry? Yes.
Health dangers. The most disturbing thing reported about vaping liquids is a condition known at popcorn lung (because it was first reported among workers in microwave popcorn factories), “an irreversible loss of pulmonary function that can become so severe that the only treatment option may be a lung transplant.” This condition has been linked to a chemical known as diacetyl. In one reputable study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health tested 51 types of flavored e-cigarette liquids to determine what chemicals they contained. (There are several thousand flavors available). Eighty-five percent of them contained Diacetyl, 2,3-Pentanedione or Acetoin, all substances known to cause potentially severe health problems. Unfortunately, Vaping has appeared relatively suddenly and is running ahead of research and regulations. It is unknown what else might be hiding in these Vape juices. Here’s a list of just some of the questions that need to be answered. And nicotine damages the lung cells and function whether delivered through a cigarette or through vaping. (This is a good review of the current science on teen Vaping.)
Encourages smoking cigarettes. Vaping creates a model for and normalizes smoking as an activity. And, the emerging research indicates that vaping increases the likelihood teens will turn to or increase smoking cigarettes. But what about Vapes as a healthier replacement for cigarette smokers? Vaping and repeated use of Vapes over time predicted increases in cigarette smoking across a 4 year study of college students. And people are increasingly vaping marijuana. Teens probably haven’t heard of this. (Right.)
It’s too cool for school. Vaping is a form of smoking and smoking continues to be portrayed in entertainment media in positive ways. The portrayal of smoking in movies and on entertainment media has been fluctuating, but still occurs rather frequently. And, teens who watch movies with characters who smoke are 3 times more likely to smoke, even when you take other influences into account.
Oh. And they explode.
What’s A Parent to Do?
Tobacco use and Vaping can be lumped together when it comes to setting up expectations and consequences. Here are a couple of the basic elements to include in establishing your family policy on tobacco use and vaping.
Model it.
The first way to influence your kid is to be a role model of the behavior you want them to exhibit. Don’t give them the ability to dismiss your message because they think you are a hypocrite. If you want your kid to stay away from smoking and Vaping, don’t do it yourself.
Talk to your kid
It is always better if you can address issues before they become a problem. Have a conversation with your kid about tobacco and your views about using. Find out what they think and what they know about it. Talk with them specifically about vaping. Find out who they know who smokes, dips, chews or vapes. Talk about why you would worry if they took up smoking or vaping. The most important part of a conversation, though, is to . . .
Set some ground rules
Kids need to know what you expect of them. Clarify your rules about tobacco use and vaping. Be clear about the consequences for not following these rules. This means making a clear statement of your no smoking policy, including Vaping (even without nicotine in the juice). Smoking is smoking. Don’t forget to include smokeless tobacco (dip, chew, etc.).
Let the suffering begin
If your kid decides they are going to test your resolve that they not smoke or Vape, they need to know what the consequences will be. Here are some suggestions about how to make them suffer for their choices. (It’s for their own good after all because, as everyone knows, suffering builds character)
Confiscate. One consequence should be to confiscate the devices and products. All tobacco products or smoking devices and liquids become your property. Dispose of them in a dramatic way. Have your kid crush the cigarettes into the toilet one by one and then flush them. Give your kid a hammer and have them break the tip, tank and heating chamber of the vaporizer. Then deliver the battery to the hazardous materials recycling center. (Oh how the tears will flow.)
Educate. Some of the best punishments are those that educate and illuminate. Use their foray into tobacco use as an opportunity for them to become a more educated, erudite person.
Lectures. Never underestimate the effectiveness of long and boring lectures. This works particularly well if you are already a natural talker. The essence of this consequence is to sit down with your kid and begin to talk . . . and talk . . . . . . and talk. The more boring and tangential your discussion the better. But, it is also a time to give them information you have and recount the horrific consequences of smoking and tobacco use for you, your family members or people you know. Be sure to include how their illnesses and premature death will affect everyone they care about (and who care about them). The experience is even more unpleasant for your kid if you are able to become emotional while talking to them (meaning crying and tearing up, not angry). Make sure the lecture lasts at least 30 minutes. Repeat this at least once a week for 4 weeks. Feel free to increase the frequency if it looks like your kid is not suffering enough. Also, don’t worry about running out of material for multiple lectures. Just repeat yourself. Saying the same thing over and over is very useful. Repetition increases the retention of information and is all the more boringly excruciating for your kid. Win-win.
Research. It is important for your kid to be well informed, especially in this information age when the wealth of human knowledge is available at their fingertips. So another effective way to educate your kid about the horrors of smoking and tobacco use is to require them to thoroughly research the topic and present it to the family. This can take any of a number of forms; research paper, powerpoint, rap song. The final product must reflect a thorough understanding of the risks and effects of tobacco (and Vape) use. Pictures of horrific medical consequences will be particularly important elements for them to include. The paper should be at least 10 pages. A powerpoint should be at least 30 slides of detailed information and graphs. Whatever form it takes, this is an assignment and so must be of high quality. The paper must be well written. The powerpoint must be well designed. The RAP song lyrics must actually rhyme (and be 5 pages long). They must have a bibliography with at least 4 research articles and 10 highly reputable resources. It isn’t complete until they get your approval of the final product. And, here is the sweet part, ground them until it is done; no visiting, no visitors, no entertainment (e.g., video games, youtube channel, etc.), no phone. As soon as they get it done to your satisfaction, everything can go back to normal. Then y’all can have a formal presentation of their hard work and newly won knowledge. Invite family and friends. Make a party of it.
Media. Another way for your kid to be educated about the dangers of tobacco is to watch cancer and tobacco themed movies, documentaries and videos with the family. The range of options is truly staggering. You can find some movie suggestions here. Documentaries and videos can be easily located by searching the internet. And, of course, YouTube is crammed with videos of all sorts, both amateur and professional. Require your kid to review and select some videos for y’all to watch on family movie night, every week for 4 weeks.
Dedicate. Another way to drive the point home to your kid about the costs of smoking and tobacco use is to require them to make some personal sacrifices, especially of time and money.
Money. If they are going to throw their money away on cancer sticks, they might as well direct it to a good cause. Require them donate the best guess (and be generous) of how much money they have spent on tobacco/vaping. Or, just tell them how much they will be required to contribute to join in the fight against the scourge of cancer. There are some great organizations like The American Lung Association or The American Cancer Society who can use every penny your kid will give. You could also require them to get involved in fund raising campaigns to try to separate other people from their money for this worthy cause. (Does the American Lung Association have people stand out on street corners soliciting donations? Maybe they would be interested in having your kid give it a try?) Even better, join in fundraising campaigns as a family. Doing things that require everyone else to sacrifice because your kid decided to smoke will certainly make the point about how far you are willing to go and how committed you are to having them NOT smoke or Vape. It can also make siblings really mad at them, thus adding to the suffering. “Mo-om!” “Don’t talk to me, talk to your sister. She is the one who just had to smoke! Now we all have to pay the price.” “But why do I have to suffer just because she is stupid?” “That’s what’s great about being a family. When someone does something stupid, we all have to pay the price. Now buck up and go try to shame that man into giving you some money for a good cause!”
Time. It’s the thing your kid has in the great abundance. Now they can put it to constructive use. Consider arranging for your kid to talk with a medical professional about the dangers of smoking and cancer. Maybe there is an oncologist or pulmonologist who would be willing to take a few minutes to harangue your child about the stupidity of smoking and tobacco use. Public health nurses are the best! They seem to be particularly good as scaring the pants off kids about risky health practices like smoking! (And don’t even get them started on sexually transmitted infections and safer sex!) Keep your eye open for community presentations on cancer. Or, better yet, see if you can arrange to have your kid talk to a cancer survivor (regardless of whether it is lung cancer) about what all they went through, and the uncertainty they are left with. And the big gun? Have them volunteer for 4 weekends at an assisted living facility caring for someone who is old and has emphysema. They will be doing a good deed and it will REALLY drive the point home about what could await them from a life of smoking.
Compensate. A final category of character building focuses on reversing the horrible effects of smoking on the health of your kid and those around them (due to second hand smoke). Start out your focus on their health by having them run a mile every day for 30 days. If smoking is bad for your lungs and general health, well then, improving your lungs and stamina by running should be a good antidote. (Running might actually do everyone good. Again, the all-for-one approach to punishment.) Or, you could drive in the car slowly behind them as they run. That way you are in a comfortable, temperature controlled environment while also being there for your kid. This REALLY annoys kids which is naturally why I like recommending it. If this kind of consequence suits you, then you could kick it up a notch by registering your kid for 5K runs, some of them even focus on cancer. Here is a previous blog about running as something to do as a family.
Then there is making up for the side of smoking that affects others around the smoker. If you have ever been in a smoker’s house you might have noticed the disgusting film that forms on the windows. So, obviously, if your kid is caught smoking or Vaping, have them clean all the windows in the house. It will brighten everyone’s life and give your kid a head start on the indirect obligations of being a smoker.
Cigarette smoke also contributes to increases in greenhouse gases through the cultivation of tobacco. What could your kid do to compensate for damaging the very environment that sustains all life on our planet? Gardening and landscaping, of course. If they are going to smoke then they are going to plant trees and other vegetation in the community to transform all that carbon dioxide into life giving oxygen. Or, mow the lawn, weed the flower beds or plant and maintain a garden. Same thing.
The appeal of smoking as “cool” has been around forever and continues to waft through our culture today. The majority of kids aren’t and won’t have anything to do with it. Smoking a cigarette won’t kill you. Being a long term smoker will and nicotine (especially when delivered through cigarettes) is addictive in subtle but tenacious ways. Don’t wait to talk to your kids about the hazards of smoking. Make it hard for them to get away with it. Make them suffer for trying or continuing to smoke. Hopefully you’ll be lucky and this will be the most difficult challenge you face as a parent.
