Be informed.
Vaping is not harmless. Did you know vape juice contains harmful substances, flavorings such as diacetyl, cancer causing chemicals and even heavy metals? Our lungs are not designed to process these substances, so inhaling these chemicals can lead to severe lung disease.
Vaping is addictive during the first use and can increase future addiction to other drugs.
Vaping is linked to depression, lung disease and can harm brain development, which continues through age 25. Defective e-cigarette batteries have caused severe burns from fire or exploding. There has also been accidental poisoning from swallowing, breathing or absorbing e-cigarette liquid.
It’s your choice.
You may be exposed to peer pressure, see friends and other students vape, but it is your choice not to start. Marketing and social media campaigns target you with bright colors and enticing flavors so that you to want to vape – it does not make it safe!
Some teens start vaping because they may think it helps them manage stress, but vaping is actually linked to anxiety and depression!
Make yourself a priority.
If you do vape, be courageous and quit! Quitting is not only good for your overall well-being, it can improve your mood, lower anxiety and decrease stress.
Be a leader… or at least not a follower.
Lead by example – be smoke free! Encourage others to quit vaping and support their journey.
Information for parents.
Lead by example and be smoke and vape free. If you do smoke or vape, you can choose to quit. Even secondhand smoking and vaping can be harmful to family and friends around you.
There are many reasons to talk to your kids about the risks and long-term effects of vaping.
- Vaping is prevalent and poses serious health concerns to your kids.
- It is easy to hide due to the current size of e-cigarettes.
- Vaping becomes addictive from the first time it is tried. Encourage your teen not to start vaping.
If you are concerned your teen is vaping, look for signs of faintly sweet or fruity scents, mood changes, increased irritability, pneumonia, nosebleeds and increased thirst.
Need free help quitting?
Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visit teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping. Riverside also has resources on tobacco use and the risks.
Make a quit plan today! Set yourself up to succeed and see yourself “vape free”. Know your triggers and surround yourself with positive, supportive people. Focus on that you will feel better vape free and have more money.