By: The American Lung Association vape-conversation-guide
For More Information: THEVAPETALK.ORG

HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT VAPING

This guide is intended to help you have an important talk about vaping with your kids. Sure, they may think you are uncool and annoying for bringing this up, but it is important that you do. The health risks are real and they need you to fight for them. Have The Vape Talk with your kids today.

First things first. Before you have the conversation with your kids, know the facts.

WHAT PARENTS NEED TO KNOW

You’ve probably heard a variety of terminology, but don’t let that confuse you. JUUL, vapes and vape pens are all forms of e-cigarettes and they’re all dangerous.

There is a misconception that vapes are just flavors and steam. Not true. Vaping is highly

addictive. In fact, one JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as 20 cigarettes, or about one pack of cigarettes. Vape pods also contain toxins and carcinogens, including formaldehyde, propylene glycol and acrolein, which can cause irreversible lung damage. And because vaping is new,

we’re still uncovering its long-term health effects.

All these risks are being funded by a familiar foe, Big Tobacco. Altria, the owner of Marlboro,

is the primary investor in JUUL. Now these tobacco firms are targeting your kids. Parents are

in the best position to protect their kids against such powerful and dangerous opponents.

SIGNS YOUR KID MIGHT ALREADY BE VAPING

About 40% of kids have tried vaping and it’s likely their parents don’t even know. Vaping is

easy to hide. Unlike traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes don’t leave the telltale scent of tobacco. But there are clues.

Look for changes in your kid’s behavior. They might start cutting back on caffeine or getting

frequent nosebleeds. Also look for signs around the house. Vape pens can look like markers or USB flash drives and have disposable flavor pods, so look for discarded pods in the trash. And since vape pods come in lots of flavors, take note of any new sweet scents in their rooms or on their clothes.

 

TIPS FOR A HEALTHY CONVERSATION

CHOOSE THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE

Choose a time when your kid won’t feel rushed and a place where he feels relaxed, like when you’re riding in the car or sitting at the dinner table. By choosing a place you both feel comfortable, you’ll both be more inclined to open up.

APPEAL TO THEIR GOOD JUDGEMENT

Your kid makes smart decisions every day. Resisting the temptation to vape can be one of them. Compliment her good judgment. Remind her that she is an independent thinker who doesn’t have to be influenced by peer pressure. Tell her you’re proud of her courage and principles.

ASK OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS

Instead of asking yes or no questions, ask open-ended questions that encourage participation. If you’re genuinely curious, your kid will be less likely to get defensive.

 

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Here are some suggested conversation openers. Remember, don’t blow up if they share things you didn’t expect to hear. Listen to their answers, ask more questions and keep the lines of

communication open.

  1. Are a lot of kids vaping at your school? Are your friends vaping? Be sure you don’t react, just listen.
  2. What do you think about vaping? You may hear him say, “It’s harmless – it’s just flavored water vapor,” but it’s not and you’ll share more about that next
  3. Do you know what is in JUUL pods and other vapes? Then tell her you have been studying and here’s what you know:
    • Vape pods contain harmful ingredients, including formaldehyde, propylene glycol and acrolein (ə-‘krō-lē-ən), which causes irreversible lung damage. It’s not just water vapor, and it’s not safe.
    • Even the Surgeon General has established how dangerous vaping is. JUUL commercials and paid influencers will try to make it look safe, but it is not.
    • Most vaping manufacturers, including JUUL, are owned by tobacco companies, the same companies that sell addictive cigarettes, which cause millions of deaths. These companies are now focusing their marketing efforts on replacing former cigarette customers with kids, by hooking them on e-cigarettes.
  4. Do you know how vaping can damage your heath? Tell him why that matters.
    • Vaping is smoking – one JUUL pod can contain as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes.
    • Once you start vaping, nicotine addiction follows – and quitting is really hard. (At this point, if you’re a smoker or former smoker, you may want to share your own experience with nicotine addiction.)
    • Your lungs will suffer the effects – maybe not today, but eventually. There are multiple cases in the news of kids having seizures from e-cigarette nicotine poisoning. We don’t even know yet how bad this is going to be for your health.
  5. Do you know the other ways vaping affects your life? Tell her why she should care.
    • Over time, the chemicals in e-cigarettes will affect your attention span,memory and lungs.
    • Once you’re addicted, vaping will be the boss of you. Even when you don’t wantto do it, you’ll have to do it. And that’s only good for the tobacco companies.
    • You’re smarter about health than previous generations were. Vaping goes against all the other healthy choices you’re already making.

 

ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH

Consider this an ongoing conversation. When you first bring up the subject, your kid might be caught off guard and reluctant to engage. But once you open the door to the topic, he’ll be more inclined to talk to you about it later. If your kid is still skeptical, here are some links you can suggest so he can make up his mind for himself.

Surgeon General: E-Cigarettes.SurgeonGeneral.gov/

CDC: CDC.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/index.htm

American Lung Association: Lung.org/ecigs

 

OFFER HELP

If your kid is already vaping, they may be addicted to nicotine. Give her the help she’ll need to quit. Call the PA FREE Quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit PA.QuitLogix.org. There are also cessation apps designed for kids, including QuitSTART.

 

For more information visit THEVAPETALK.ORG OR CALL 1.88.LUNGUSA

What does it mean when something like addiction or depression is genetically influenced? Are people who are at risk destined to develop problems? Psycologist Danielle Dick explores how our genes and our environments come together across the lifespan to create multiple pathways that can influence addiction. Follow the link below to watch Dr. Danielle Dick discuss this at TEDxRVA.

 

From Genes to Addiction: How Risk Unfolds Across the Lifespan – Dr. Danielle Dick – TEDxRVA

The Partnership for Substance Free Youth in Buncombe County will host several medication drop off sites for the DEA National Prescription Take Back day on Saturday 10/26/19 from 10am-2pm in collaboration with local businesses and law enforcement. Through these events and permanent medication drop boxes in our community, The Partnership for Substance Free Youth in Buncombe County has already collected 400 pounds of unneeded or expired prescription medications in 2019.

Last fall Americans turned in nearly 469 tons (more than 937,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. Overall, in its 17 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 11.8 million pounds—approximately 5,900 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For the first time, the DEA and The Partnership for Substance Free Youth in Buncombe County, will also accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop off locations during the Take Back Day. Many concerns have been raised lately across the United States over illnesses and death caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. In an effort to support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially amongst Americas’ youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.

Participating in National Take Back Day provides community members with an opportunity to help prevent prescription and over-the-counter medicine misuse and abuse by disposing of unused or expired medicines in a safe, convenient, and responsible way. In addition, community members can help prevent and reduce youth initiation of vaping nicotine and other harmful substances by disposing of vaping devices and cartridges.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 26 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com

The event will take place at multiple locations across Buncombe County from 10am-2pm:

Walgreens: 1124 Patton Ave, Asheville
Walgreens: 1835 Hendersonville Road, Asheville
Walgreens: 91 S. Tunnel Road, Asheville
Walgreens: 841 Merrimon Avenue, Asheville
CVS: 425 W State St. Black Mountain
Asheville Airport – Public Safety Building, Fletcher
SONA Pharmacy: 805 Fairview Rd, Asheville
Asheville Mountain Pharmacy: 1272 Tunnel Rd. Ste 20, Asheville

Please remove identification from all medications, and separate pills, liquids and inhalers into different bags or containers.  We cannot accept radioactive medications such as cancer medications. Also, we cannot accept needles or sharps. All medications collected during the event are considered anonymous and will be incinerated by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Do you know the underage drinking laws?

It doesn’t make you the “cool” parent to let your teen and their friends drink. Even if you’d rather know where they are and think it’s safer than being out. Familiarize yourself with these laws… What you don’t know could cost you.

It is ILLEGAL for anyone to give alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 21.

No, it doesn’t matter that it’s YOUR child. Parents providing alcoholic beverages to anyone under the age of 21 is ILLEGAL – including your own children. Any adult who hosts, or provides alcohol to minors can be HELD CRIMINALLY AND CIVILLY LIABLE!

Penalties may include: Driver license revoked for up to 1 year, 25+ hours of community service, and/or possible jail time!

Under 21?

Driving after consuming any amount of alcohol = IMMEDIATE REVOCATION OF LICENSE

It is ILLEGAL to purchase, possess, or consume alcohol!

Thinking about using that fake ID?

Is it really worth it for a buzz?

One year license revocation, $200 fine and get charged with a class 1 misdemeanor and a possible FELONY – not to mention additional fines, and court costs up to $500, community service and possible jail time.

START THE CONVERSATION. STOP UNDERAGE DRINKING.

www.TALKitOUT.org

 

Store medications in secure locations such as: Lock-boxes, Medication safes, or other lockable spaces.

Avoid storage places where children and others can easily access, such as: Drawers, Nightstands, or kitchen cabinets

How to Dispose of Medications

Once finished with a prescription medication, you have three options for disposal… Safely dispose of medications by placing them in a local drug drop-box:

  1. Lobby of Buncombe Sheriff’s Office – 339 New Leicester Highway, Leicester
  2. Lobby of Buncombe County Courthouse – 60 Court Plaza,
  3. Downtown Asheville Lobby of Asheville Police Department – 100 Court Plaza

Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused medications to central locations for proper disposal.

No drop-box or take back near you?

Dispose medications safely at home: Remove pills from bottle and mix them with undesirable substances such as kitty litter or coffee grounds. Throw away the sealed mixture into the trash. Remove the prescription label and dispose of the empty bottle.

The first step when you suspect your teen has a substance abuse problem is to have your child screened by a experienced medical doctor, certified substance abuse counselor, or an addiction specialist. Once a diagnosis is made that the teen has a substance abuse disorder, they will be referred for treatment, which helps them stop using the drugs they are addicted to.

In March 2014 the Academy of Pediatrics recommended substance abuse screening as part of all adolescent care using the universal Screening for Substance Use, Brief Intervention and/or Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) guidelines designed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. A pediatrician can give positive feedback to a teen who hasn’t yet been involved in alcohol and drug use and encourage behavior changes or refer to treatment for those who have been found with a substance abuse disorder.

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

SBIRT is a comprehensive, integrated public health approach to the delivery of early intervention and treatment services for persons with substance use disorders, as well as those at risk of developing these disorders. Where are intervention services provided for the at-risk substance user before more serious consequences occur? At primary care centers, hospital emergency rooms, trauma centers, and other community settings.

  • Screening: Quickly evaluates the severity of substance use and identifies the appropriate level of treatment.
  • Brief intervention: focuses on increasing insight and awareness for substance use and motivation toward changes in behavior.
  • Referral to treatment: Provides those identified as in need of more extensive treatment with access to specialty care.

Research shows that to ensure success for most patients, treatment should combine treatment medications, where available, with behavioral therapy. Today with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) many youth covered under a parent’s health insurance policy are able to receive addiction treatment and care until they are 26. After that the teen can get insurance on his own that will cover his treatment needs. The ACA requires insurers to cover mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment at the same level they’d cover any other medical treatment. Without treatment, a teen may not enter recovery and get back on track at school or work to build the life she hoped to.

Recovery is when a person quits taking drugs and starts to learn how to live their life without drugs. Substance abuse addiction is typically a chronic disease. While helping your teen fight this battle, remember that:

Relapse is common – Relapse prevention services may increase the success of long-term recovery.

Long-term or repeated episodes of care for long-term abstinence and recovery are very important – Stopping drug use for a few days does not guarantee being cured. People can recover from drug addiction, but they must be aware of their addiction and work on not using again. Those who are treated for a substance abuse disorder or addiction will have a life of recovery.

If you are seeking treatment for your child, please call VAYA Health 1-800-849-6127. (Toll free 24/7)

Having a crisis? Need immediate help? Call 1-800-849-6127. (Toll free 24/7)

Tiene una crisis? ¿Necesita ayuda inmediata? Llame al 1-800-849-6127. (Llamada gratuita 24/7)

Mobile Crisis Management 1-800-573-1006

You can also contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for information on hotlines, counseling services, or treatment options in your State. Information is also available in Spanish.

Drug treatment programs by State also may be found online at: www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov

For information on Recovery and Celebrating Recovery Month, go to this link: http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2013/09/national-recovery-month

Teens can live a successful life when they are able to receive treatment and the support of family and friends while in recovery!