Vaping

[MissConfused08]

I can't seem to get my 13 year old son to stop vaping. I've caught him on numerous occasions and when I've discussed it with him he's given me various reasons - peer pressure, one off, "because of the past" (he witnessed domestic abuse) and I am at a loss on how to get him to quit.

I've got him a counselling service (however there is a waiting list, so he hasn't started yet) created an online account, so he can speak to someone from childline, grounded him and taken off him all his perks - Xbox, phone, computer etc

Has anyone experienced this and can offer some advice? I am at my wits end.

@Allaboutthebooks Has it? I will try and give this a try - I will literally try anything at this point.

I did make him look at the affects vaping can have on his body and got him to do a presentation on it, but maybe I will book an appointment with the dentist as it will be a medical professional telling him how bad it is, rather than just me, his mother.

Quite honestly, there's piss all you can do about it, other than hope it's a phase that will eventually pass.

@Allaboutthebooks It's definitely worth a try, so I'll try and arrange an appointment asap.

@MissMaple82 this is what I am afraid of. I know kids try things, but I didn't think it would be this young and I certainly didn't think it would be smoking especially because he has really bad asthma, which vaping seems to be exacerbating.

Since when does vaping stain teeth?? It doesn't have any tar in it.

I vape, not proud of it but I'm an adult lol. I find it'll be one of two things:

• He's addicted to the nicotine. This is my issue and is obviously hard to kick because it's nicotine!

If he doesn't use the nicotine ones then:

• He's addicted to the action. To having something to use when anxious or waiting or bored or nervous. Vape to mouth, pull, down, repeat. It's a kind of self soothing action.

What Calandor said. Neither vaping nor nicotine stain teeth.

Does his vape contain nicotine? A lot of them don't.

Do you know whether he used to smoke before he started vaping? Some kids use them in the same way as adults - as a form of NRT.

Vaping is not harmless but the health risks are very low, certainly compared with lots of other things he's likely to encounter in the next few years (including alcohol and actual cigarettes). Try not to scaremonger or he'll be less likely to believe you when you warn him against something much more harmful.

Lots of good quality evidence here:

www.gov.uk/government/collections/e-cigarettes-and-vaping-policy-regulation-and-guidance

If he's using nicotine and is addicted, you could try your local stop smoking service. Most are clued up on vaping these days and can offer advice and support. This will only work if he wants to quit though.

You could also find out where he's buying from and report to trading standards. It's illegal to sell to under 18s.

I think I agree with the poster who says be careful or you won't have ammunition if he moves on to harder stuff. When I was 15 onwards I was taking a lot of Class A drugs as were most people I knew. We also all smoked - I gave it up pretty quickly as I hated it but plenty of kids smoked cigarettes from about 14/ 15 onwards.

You need to be able to put risk taking into perspective - what about a bribe rather than punishment at this stage? Offer him cash if he goes 3 months without doing it - then when he is facing peer pressure he can say, oh im being paid not to do it ha ha