According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2016 cigarette smoking among high school students reached an all-time low. All of the painstaking efforts that adults made to help steer kids away from cigarettes had worked. Now all of that painstaking progress is gone. Vaping has put nicotine addition back on the map and a slim battery-powered device called the Juul is at the center of it all.
Why? Juuling is “cool.” ‘Tweens and teens want nothing more than to be seen as cool and Juuling makes that happen. Only, they get addicted to nicotine when they do it repeatedly and now the work of getting kids off of smoking is wiped away.
According to drugabuse.gov, the use of electronic cigarettes by middle and high schoolers has skyrocketed to epidemic proportions. This news has been seconded by the Food and Drug Administration. In August, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital saw an increased number of vaping cases — many of which will have lifelong effects. The cases are being seen in hospitals now across the country.
Here’s what you need to know:
SIGNS YOUR KID IS JUULING
• Frequently stepping away or using the bathroom
• Leaving to go outside for a moment
• Irritability beyond normal teen irritability
• Excesseive coughing, shortness of breath
• Intolerance for exercise
• Wearing extra socks to hide the Juul around the ankle
HOW TO HELP YOUR KID
• Don’t freak out or your kid will shut down or blow up
• Ask an open-ended question such as, “Why are kids so into Juuling today?”
or, “Are the flavors good?”
• Really listen when your kid talks and don’t interrupt LET HIM TALK
• Aim for honest, calm dialogue
• Try to help your kid see the potential pitfalls of Juuling, non-judgmentally
• Share your concerns
• Wearing extra socks to hide the Juul around the ankle
Kids are faced with a lot of difficult decision every day. Stay in touch with your ‘tween or teen daily by going to see him in his room and just hanging out, experts say. Talk about interesting things, not just problems, and make an effort to be “cool” and someone he feels he can talk to.
No matter what, stay calm. Helping someone to stop doing something that has become an addiction takes a lot of time. Aim for progress slowly and be involved daily to make it happen.
READ MORE
Stop Smoking and Vaping Around Kids
Teens: Juuling Will Hook Them on Nicotine
