Fu**ing Vapes

[frecklejuice]

I’m so sick of fucking vape companies making this shit so attractive to teenagers, how is it allowed? I know teenagers need to take responsibility for themselves but it’s just there in their face in every shop and everyone is doing it.

My 16 year old promised me he would never do and I stupidly believed him but Wednesday night I found a vape in his room. I lost my shit at him for lying and being an idiot. The vape is now in the bin and he is grounded for a week but has been warned it will be longer next time I catch him.

I asked if it was cigarettes then would he do it because “everyone else is” and he said no because cigarettes are disgusting which just proves my point that vapes are too attractive to kids.

How the hell do we stop kids doing it?

Not even sure what my aibu is!

Crikey! Who came up with that?
That can’t be good for you!
I had honestly never heard of this, and thought it was “snuff” like old men used to have.
Sometimes, for me, ignorance is probably bliss!

Snus has been popular in Scandinavian countries since forever.

Vaping poses a minimal threat to health. Relax.

No one has said its ok? What are you reading?

Flying off the handle will just make them hide it. Jesus.

I've never thought it was OK.

If my DD hadn't been already 18 and just days away from leaving home to go to university by the time I discovered it then I might well have dealt with it very differently. Grounding an 18 year old who will be moving out virtually immediately would have been pointless. Just keep it away from me and consider what an idiot you have been!

I don't think anyone is saying it is OK, it isn't. There are worse things though.

I wonder if there is a perception amongst some people that whilst nicotine is the main addictive substance in cigarettes, it does limited harm itself if taken in vape form because the carcinogens of smoke are not present.? That's not true of course, it causes heart rate to increase etc. and probably other things too.

It’s definitely a problem, and I do think it’s very different to smoking. Yes lots of kids try or used to try cigarettes, but not many actually started smoking because:

1. Your first cigarette was HORRIBLE, it’s not pleasant, you have to really train yourself to enjoy those until the nicotine kicks in
2. It was hard to hide, the smell if nothing else and you couldn’t smoke in school or in your bedroom, you had to leave the house to do it. Less convenient and again required some effort.

Vapes do taste nice, fruity, you can choose your flavour and you can do it anywhere. Lying in bed at night, in the toilets at school as is now happening! It’s so much more convenient and appealing and yes, it’s safer than cigarettes, but it’s still not great.

That said I do agree with others that there are worse things & that as kids get older you have to adjust your parenting style and keep communication open rather than just punishment.

In fairness once the Tobacco and Vapes Act passes later in 2025 - fully gone through the House of Commons and is at committe stage in the Lords. The government will open consultations to regulate vape packaging and the issues you've mentioned; targeting bright colours, imagery, branding to reduce appeal to children. Likely in the next couple of years will have to be much more like cigarette packing and have warnings on them.

Surely anything being “forced” into the lungs is going to be damaging to some extent?
How minimal do we really know it to be?

Why do we automatically cover our nose and mouth if there is something in the air that shouldn’t normally be there (smoke, fumes, dust, etc) Is this vape stuff not the same?

Not being goady, just curious.

I agree, they look really dumb as well, sucking on them like a dummy

Do parents not realise that grounding doesn’t really work? Did it work for you? What about having a conversation instead? I don’t get why people feel the need the ‘lose their shit’ instead of having a calm and honest conversation. None of us I bet were angels at 16.

Vapes should be recycled not put in household waste. They can cause serious fires.

Oh we have had a conversation after I lost my shit at him, we have a great relationship so he knows when I shout he has really pissed me off! He accepts it’s a stupid thing to do but I’m under no illusion that this will be the end of it, it’s ok for him to know I’m angry and don’t agree with it though. I’m not about to sit there and say “oh well crack on because we all experimented”, where does that stop?

I genuinely find it hard to believe that some of you who have posted wouldn’t have a problem or are you those cool laid back “friend” parents?

The alternative to your approach isn’t as you describe, the cool friend parent.

You could just say to him ‘stop being a bellend, vapes are minging and make you look like a scuzzy twat’.
…..and then move on.

Yanbu. I found out 14yo ds was doing it. It's hard to know how to approach it really. First time we spoke about it calmly, together, made a plan. But then when we discovered he was doing it again, we came down much harder. I know teens experiment and I'm not naive. But he's 14, still a child. He's also on medication for adhd, so have spoken with him about this too. He passionately loves sport and wants to be a PE teacher, so we've had some success motivating him to stay off it by focusing on the health benefits. We've also said that if he struggles to focus in class anyway, then vaping will make that worse. He's a good lad on the whole, but I never thought I'd be having these kinds of conversations with him at 14.

Yes they really do, it instantly makes you look like a chav.

I wish they’d ban the added fruity etc smell. That may do more to discourage trying it. Im sure they’d appreciate attractive smell draws them in.

It's really not ok. I would ground too OP. I have a 15 yo DS and I wouldn't hesitate to ground him at 16 and beyond, he'll still be living in my house doing his GSCES and A levels and spending my money!

I agree, and the stupid stinky smoke that comes out of it if you're walking behind someone with one.

I was on a Teams call this week with a colleague in his 40s who casually got one out and starting puffing on it during our call. I don't care if I'm being old fashioned but I was appalled by this, totally unprofessional; and this guy is very good at his job otherwise.

I understand why you’re angry but I do find the idea of grounding a 16 year old a bit weird. When will you stop enforcing punishments like that? I’d be careful how you deal with this or next time he will simply be sneakier about it.

Vaping isn’t great but it’s not a massive health issue compared to drugs and smoking.

That poster is mental...I hope they don't have kids. Absolutely right to ground him at least!

Some of the vapes are designed for teens. Who is going to use these as a method of quitting smoking going to use Unicorn Shake and bubble gum flavours? Plus ones that flash a different colour at every puff.

Before anyone asks I found many vapes on litter picks.

Also very surprised that Coca Cola, Mars group or Britvic have sued some of these vape manufacturers as seen vapes calling themselves Fnta, Skttles and Tngo using the same fonts as their brands.

Disposable vapes are banned from last month but doesn’t mean they are illegal to vape. Now they are rechargeable and some have a pod system.

Please do show us the studies that it poses minimal risk. What an idiotic statement.

My dc are all adults but I would have reacted in the same way as you. Not just the vapes but the lying, it’s not ok.

Where did you get that from?

Saw a man the other day with one on a string around his neck 🤢

I tried a disposable vape from a younger cousin. When it ran out, a week later, I was so addicted, I was miserable for days, twitchy. I managed to force myself not to buy one. 6 months later, I've forgotten about it. But it was so hard, and I'm a 40 year old woman, with a lot of other things to be doing than vaping. So hard for them. Should be banned.