Teenage vaping

[weegiemum]

We've been aware for a few weeks that D's who is 14.8 is hanging out with an older bunch of boys. When dd2 called him down at teatime tonight she said he was vaping in his room (she has a bit of a tendency to just walk in). I'm worried, dh is a GP and he's going MAD (on call tonight so well deal with it tomorrow, D's doesn't l ow DD told me).
Anyone else dealt with this in a young teen. It's not unusual here, but I really do t want my wee boy doing it!!

Are you allowed to buy e-cigarettes at that age? I've seen some older teenagers vaping (17/18) but not younger ones. I can't imagine how it would be deemed cool to vape but nothing surprises me these days?! I also wouldn't like my child doing it so you have my sympathy.

Wouldn't like it myself.

I don't know what he's using, it's all on what dd2 saw this evening, but I can't see why she'd lie.
I'm staying way off it this evening, dh is working and I'm not up to dealing with it on my own, my depression is bad right now.
Dd1 (16) has mentioned that vaping is "cool" at school. Dh is going to go mental - he hates everything about smoking.
I know life hasn't been great, I'm very depressed and just about managing right now - in counselling for depression and I'm just about keeping a lid on it.

I found out DS 14 just was doing this a few months ago.

Older kids get them and sell them on. Getting new flavours is the new pokeman card craze apparently

DS now has zero pocket money. No matter what he says ge gets nothing. He cannot be trusted. I cannot stop him smoking/vaping but i can choose not to fund it.
No idea if he still does it but if he is tapping from friends i hope they soon get bored of him not funding it too

I think you need to get more information. If he's already been smoking cigarettes and is addicted, then vaping is a safer alternative. If he's hooked on nicotine then I would treat it like you would any other form of addiction and not punishment. He may just be vaping to be cool and just vaping the 0 nicotine, and in that case I'd come down hard on him and give him some form of consequences. The teens that I know that vape are using it as a substitute for smoking when they are in situations where they cannot smoke ie: home, school etc. Once you find out then I think you can determine how to deal with it.

We'll try to find out tomorrow when dh is here too. I reckon it's not to come down from nicotine - vaping is cool at their school right now so I think that's more likely it. Still unacceptable, he's only 14.

What happymom said. Vaping on its own is not really addictive, even with nicotine. Young people are experimenting with vaping but, except for those who already smoke, they're not doing it regularly or developing any sort of habit.

So my priority would be to find out if he's been smoking. If he has, that's the problem you need to focus on. Vaping is a route out of smoking for lots of people, including teens.

If he hasn't, and is just vaping to be cool, I'd take the piss mercilessly. Everybody knows that vapers look like total twats

It is illegal to sell ecigs to someone who is under 18, although I think technically nicotine-free products are not covered. If you find he has bought actual cigarettes from somewhere, that is obviously also illegal and much more serious. Either offence needs reporting to trading standards - it will be the vendor who gets in trouble, not your DS.

Arm yourselves with some proper up-to-date info before you tackle him. Good luck!

As long as it's just the cool angle, taking the piss might just work. Offer to buy him a white tracksuit for Christmas - he'd die of embarrassment!

Nah, get him a fedora and a stick-on neck-beard

Same as Izzy. My 14 year old vapes and smokes the odd cig. He gets no money from me now. Can't be trusted.