To wonder why vaping is ‘cool’

[Tengreen]

Dd is 13. I know a lot of her peers are vaping. Estimate around 1/4 + of the year group.
When I asked her about it her perception is that most of the ‘cool’ people vape and vaping ‘might’ make you cool if you’re not already.

But I don’t get what is cool about it. It looks pathetic to me.

She says she’s not interested in being cool but she is prone to making poor choices so although I’d be very disappointed it wouldn’t surprise me if she at least tried it at some point .

I’m pretty sure she’s completely anti smoking because of the health risks and I have some idea of how to guide her when it comes to alcohol but this vaping has thrown a bit of a curve ball.
Any insights into what the attraction is and how to make sure she doesn’t get sucked in (I’m happy with that pun 😂) would be greatly appreciated

Google popcorn lung

www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/does-vaping-cause-popcorn-lung#:~:text=Popcorn%20lung%20(bronchiolitis%20obliterans)%20is,and%20a%20chemical%20called%20diacetyl.

There is no evidence that popcorn lung is caused by vaping.

I have vaped for close on 9 years now. I had a chest x ray a couple of years ago that showed my lungs were clear.

However, I started vaping after many, many attempts to give up smoking. And I'm elderly. I certainly wouldn't want a child of any age to start vaping .

There isn't enough evidence yet to come to any conclusion about its possible harmful effects.

Not sure but it's definitely very very common at the moment right now in teens. I've got a 13 year old, I caught her with vapes in her school bag and was absolutely shocked I'll be honest. Following this though it has transpired so many of her peers have indeed been ' sucked ' into trying. They pass round on the bus, vape in school toilets it's really bad. And this is a good school, and lots of these are ' good kids'. I have spoken to school and they are struggling themselves to know how best to address the situation, they said they have never known anything like it. The kids can buy them from the shop for a couple of quid, they are bright and colourful and have appealing flavours like strawberry and watermelon- they just don't see it as a problem and yes they think they look cool with the cake bellowing everywhere. The things are a bloody nightmare and should be more tightly monitored.

Is it cool? I must be behind the curve.

It doesn’t look cool. And it stinks.

I don’t think it’s cool - reminds me of dummies
DP started vaping a while ago after being a non smoker for years
I have bad asthma and it doesn’t help at all
he thinks it’s all in my mind but I wheeze far more after he’s been near me!

I dont know about kids but adults who vape just look dirty and cheap, I dont know why, they just do.

Perhaps that is cool these days.

I suppose it's cool because it's off limits, the usual.

I would say that it's more than a quarter of teens right now. Every one of my 16 year old's friends vape. Every single one. I believe she doesn't but I've no way to be sure.

I'm more worried about my younger one. He tells me nothing so I don't know about his friends.

The disposal vape craze seems to have exploded and I have to admit I'm clueless about it.

I think teenagers see it as “cool” as they’re doing it illegally, underage. Just how teens think smoking and drinking looks cool.

They’ll either look back and cringe about it or still be addicted to the things having wasted thousands of £££

@milkysmum yes same. Nice school with mostly affluent intake. Although the capers are a mixed demographic. Local private school has also got the same issue. I’ve even heard of some in primary schools!

They are going on a residential aboard soon and the head has said that anyone caught with a vape will have to be collected by their parents 😬.

Teens doing what they are not supposed to is a tale as old as time.
Parents being bemused even though they're conveniently forgetting their own mishaps is too

It's basically cigarette alcopops. You get nice sweet flavours and a safe rebellious buzz.

I always think vaping looks a bit… skanky 🤷🏻‍♀️

Could be worse, she could be smoking a big fat spliff 🤷‍♂️.

Vaping is great to get you off the fags but can't see the appeal other than that.

I vape (I guess I’m pretty skanky) but after a shite time of my life I finally gave up smoking so I’m super proud of that. Sorry that that offends people.

i would rather my 14 yo son vaped than drank those fucking energy drinks though, that’s the big issue in our school at the minute and a boy just had a heart attack and died. It has frightened me so much so I get how you feel op, even if it’s a different issue. I guess we can only guide? So far what we’ve done is grounded him when we found cans all over his room after 3 warnings, educated him like fuck and we went on a course about the effects and we dont give him a quid here and there like we used to because he would go straight to the shop and buy them. I hope that’s a little helpful for you? I have no idea if I’m doing this right!

cool? reminds me of cleaning ladies

YANBU to not want her to do it. YABU to think that because you, an adult with a fully formed view of the world and adult sensibilities, think vaping is uncool, that there's no possible reason a teenager would.

As a PP said, they're basically alcopops for smoking. Slightly rebellious, nice flavours, reasonably cheap, a quick and visible way to show you're 'in'. Plenty of attributes that make things appealing to teenagers.

What do you mean?

Nobody ever seems to get off the vape though.
It's more addictive it seems

It's really clear what I mean. In a few places I've worked, the cleaners come in vaping. Therefore, I associate vaping with cleaners, not at all with being cool.

If that offends you I will just have to live with that. But there you go, that is my association.

I don't understand why you're asking why it's cool. Things your parents and teachers don't want you to do are cool. It was ever thus.

Vaping is leading to nicotine addictions in young teens, nothing cool about it at all. They're just the new energy drinks we had as kids.

@ComfyChairPose I know plenty of people who've quit the vapes. It's a win win.

God forbid one should look like The Help. Dirty nasty cleaning ladies, yuck. Personally I have a little backdoor my cleaning lady can go in and out so the neighbours don’t see her. What a disgusting attitude.

Overall, who knows why it’s cool. Teens always find weird stuff cool. When I was a teen we used to wear low jeans with a thong poking out the top. And often a vest with a bright coloured bra. We liked to iron our hair so we looked basically flat headed and it was popular to drink sweet alcopop drinks. We must have looked like idiots. But you don’t have to do anything so why let it bother you? I don’t vape but I don’t call others skanky or make snotty little comments about cleaning ladies. I just say ‘eh each to their own.’