Everyone agrees that education is important, but in the case of electronic cigarettes, many government officials and public health groups that vaping education is also a key in avoiding the possibility of kids getting lured into nicotine addiction and cigarette dependence.
An Important Parenting Duty
Education starts at home so it is only proper that parents provide their children with proper (based on facts and not fear) vaping education. Teaching kids about vaping is not necessarily showing them how an electronic cigarette is used or how an ecig tank is filled with ejuice.
Ecig education in the household is part of good family communication that will help develop mutual respect, self-esteem, and self capacity to avoid probable dangers.
Kids Deserve To Know
It is the right of children to learn to know and to be educated. What some clueless parents want is for the government to just get these e-cigs away from children’s reach through enforcement of public vaping and ecig sale bans.
With the nature of children considered, it is not surprising why many teenagers explore smoking, drinking, and premarital sex on their own even if there are prohibitions in place. Children do not deserve deprivation from the truth because the truth will set them free from any possible dangers.
Talking About Vaping To Teenagers
Kids and adolescents are known for their explorative nature so they could be expected to try to break the rules just to satisfy their curiosity. The danger of this is that they might begin using e-cigs before understanding the risks and consequences.
Parents should not just allow their children to explore things o their own. If your child should learn, it would be best that he/she learns about vaping from you. If you are vaping yourself, you might be asked by your child why you are vaping while he/she is not allowed to.
Your child might already know what you will tell him/her, but there are times when you need to further stress some obvious points to guarantee a full understanding of things related to vaping. One of the most obvious points is the nicotine content of e-cigs.
Explain to your child that vaping involves only nicotine and not the tar and toxins of tobacco smoke. While nicotine is not a carcinogen, let the child know about nicotine’s addictive nature that might lead him/her to life-long addiction or put his/her brain development in jeopardy.
Still, with nicotine, it is best to explain to your child that the vape liquid contains nicotine and other chemicals that are not safe to be touched or ingested. They could easily and quickly become ill when they curiously touch or access your e-liquid bottles.
Explain to your child that you are vaping because there is no smoke that your device produces so risks involved are substantially lessened. Yet, this does not mean that vaping is completely safe. The long term vaping effects are still unknown because the devices have not yet been in the market that long
Action Speaks Louder Than Words
Vaping education should not just be through an explanation. If there is a teaching strategy that works best with children, it would be through visual and physical demonstration. As a responsible parent vaper, show your kids that you keep your vaping stuff properly stored in places where they will not be accessed easily such as on the topmost part of the cabinet or keeping things inside a locked container.
When you are dining in a restaurant with your kids, show them that you would first ask the restaurant staff before you start taking puffs from your device.
If you are watching TV together in the family room and there is an ecig commercial shown, take advantage of this situation by explaining to children some of the most important things about vaping. You could start by saying that vaping is helpful to adult smokers looking for a better alternative to smoking, although there are risks especially to children that should be avoided.
