E-cigs AGAIN!

[feelinghthelove]

10yr old turns 11 this week.
He's just returned from weekend at dads with an E-cig! Dad bought it for his birthday. I just want to cry.
Firstly this is because I'm so dead set against them.
As far as I'm aware he didn't smoke cigarettes at all. I don't allow e-cigs either. Hate the things. I'm very on the ball with things like this, I like to think so anyway.
He's just shown me, bold as brass!
Is there some law on this kind of thing? Surly as an adult he can't buy a child these things?

Of course it's bloody illegal. E-cigs are restricted to over-18s only - is your ex insane? They are banned in some countries because the health risks are, as yet, unknown. I am genuinely shocked that any adult, much less a parent, would give one to a pre-pubescent child. Depending how unbothered you are about maintaining an amicable relationship with your son's father, you could report him to the police (I am not someone who recommends going to the police in most circumstances) for supplying an under-18 year old with a restricted substance.

Thank you. That was all I needed to know.
He's certainly not one for me to ring up and tell him he's out of order, he'd laugh at me. In fact I'm 99.9% certain he's done this so I WILL ring up going mad.

I'm struggling to believe anyone would do this. But I would be calling social services or something. That is disgusting and I would go absolutely crazy.

You know the ridiculous thing, our eldest (lives with him) has a social worker an I brought it up with her that he was buying them, their response "well they aren't cigarettes!"
I'm stumped with where to go.
Defo the police. Thanks all.

Your title says 'e-cigs AGAIN!' - has this happened before?

He hasn't broken the law, sorry. The legislation is going through but it doesn't come into force until October 1st. Ecigs are not tobacco products, although they contain nicotine (in the same way that NRT isn't a tobacco product and can be sold / supplied to children as young as 12) so they don't fit into existing legislation and there is a massive ongoing debate about how they should be treated legally.

It is obviously a cause for concern, legal or not. You need to find out two things:

1. Is he using an ecig with nicotine in? Many people use them without and if your DS is not using nicotine this is very very likely to be a short term fad - annoying, and it doesn't look great, but actually pretty harmless and he'll be bored of it within the space of a few weeks and onto the next pre-teen fad.

If he is using a nicotine ecig and has never smoked, his odds of becoming addicted are far lower than if he'd been experimenting with fags.

2. Are you absolutely sure he has not been smoking? If he hasn't then yes, you have every right to be very angry with his dad. If it turns out he has been smoking then his dad has actually done something sensible by diverting him to ecigs because they are, at a conservative estimate, ~95% safer than smoking (even allowing for unknown potential health risks) and are also much easier to quit than lit tobacco.

There's a good article here about teens and vaping. I know your DS isn't yet a teen but it may give you some useful context.

If this was my child my overwhelming priority would be to find out for sure if he had been smoking and to tackle that if necessary. NHS Stop Smoking Services regularly see children, sadly, and can help your DS to quit smoking and/or ecigs.

Does your ex have a habit of undermining you? That doesn't bode well for the teenage years to come, especially as your DS is being so brazen about this.

God, I've just googled and Plenty is right -the law exists but doesn't come into fprce until next year. Either by accident or design your ex hasn't broken the law he's just shown himself to be an utter bellend.

he's just shown himself to be an utter bellend.

Well that all depends, lala. Alpaca said Who the actual fuck thinks that it's ok to give an e-cig to a child?

Someone with a child who smokes?

(I very much hope your DS isn't smoking, feelingthelove, because that would be a much bigger concern than the ecig)

DEFO doesn't smoke.
I'd know. I'd smell it, I'd smell the chewing gum or deodorant to cover the smell. I check his room. I know his friends. I check his phone. No way.

When I say "e-cigs again" I mean because of our eldest child.

Well, that's something good anyway. Do you know if he's using nicotine?

I think I remember your previous thread. What's happening with your older DS now? What do your DS's say about why they are doing it? Is your ex a smoker? vaper? both? Has he said anything about why he has encouraged them to use an ecig?

Sorry for all the questions, it's just hard to gauge whether this is a major issue needing a big intervention or whether it's an annoying but mostly harmless rebellion, best dealt with by a tut and an eyeroll. Oh yes ... make sure you tell him he looks like a pillock. If he carries on vaping he'll have to get used to that.

The most important thing in this situation is for your DS's to get through adolescence without becoming addicted to actual fags because those things really do kill you (~50% of all long term smokers die from it) and they are an absolute nightmare to quit.

Good luck, Stop Smoking Services can give your DS's support if they need it.