To buy my child an e cigarette

[WomenVsbarbie]

Okay I just know two of my teenagers smoke. Haven't found evidence but insider knowledge (ds telling me ) and both have a ready supply of gum and mint.

Anyway I was thinking if I make them go cold turkey it won't work but if I can get them an e cig or nicquitine gum then maybe we could quit like adult smokers with less chance of failing. Anyway Aibu

does anyone know what harm ecigs do?

How you handle this will depend on how addicted they are. Maybe they are still just 'social' smokers but so is pretty much every smoker at this age. Nobody in their teens thinks 'I'm going to smoke 20 a day for the next several decades' yet that is the outcome for a sizeable proportion and once they reach that stage it has a 50% chance of eventually killing them. So you need to nip this in the bud as I'm sure you know.

These are the sorts of questions you should be asking - they'll give you a good idea of how serious the problem is. You're probably fuming but it's important to do your best to be non-judgmental so they are honest with you. Otherwise they will downplay it, say they could stop tomorrow, tell you they have stopped when they haven't ... and then you won't be able to help them at all.

If it truly is just an occasional fag at a social event then cutting their money and giving them a severe bollocking might be enough on its own. If it's anything more than this I'd be inclined to get them proper help through stop smoking services. You can access this through your GP or school nurse. NRT is licenced to be prescribed for children as young as 12 and is a free prescription. Don't be fobbed off with GP care - insist on a referral to Stop Smoking Services.

If they won't go then an ecig is not a bad idea at all. One of the very successful things about them is they are acceptable to large numbers of smokers who do not wish to be medicalised.

NRT on its own (i.e. bought over the counter with no specialist support) is worse than useless. If they won't access services, they are far more likely to be successful with a decent ecig. Study here.

Good luck!

Good info on ecigs here.

I know their is a local newsagent/ shop selling Booze and cigs to teenagers. I've seen many in the area drinking and smoking.

Please please report them to Trading Standards.