Good morning!

You might be surprised to learn that the number one reason teens are vaping nicotine is to “relax.” In a recent study (Patrick, et al. Pediatrics. 2024) on teen nicotine vaping, researchers found that among 12^th graders who were vaping daily:

• 71% said they vaped to “relax or relieve tension”

• Over 40% of the kids listed that they vaped due to

  • Boredom

  • They were “hooked”

  • They liked the “taste”

• Only 30% said they vaped to “have a good time with my friends”

There is ample research showing that occasional use of nicotine can produce relaxation. However, one of the biggest problems with any use of nicotine is that it is highly addictive, and before long, the main reason for use is to treat nicotine withdrawal.

As you might guess, there are numerous problems with adolescents who are regularly vaping nicotine, from changes in their brain development to increased rates of dependence (aka addiction) to lung problems.

Most people agree that vaping nicotine is bad, but few people are aware of the negative associations between mental health and vaping.

The research findings ought to freak us all out

Concern over nicotine vaping isn’t just nervous handwringing.

The reality is that if your child is regularly vaping nicotine, they are at higher risk for these mental health conditions:

• Depression

• Suicidality

• Disordered eating

• ADHD

• Conduct disorder

• Perceived stress

• Anxiety

Even if vaping nicotine isn’t directly causing these conditions, do you honestly believe that it helps? For example, consider anxiety. Among my patients who quit smoking cigarettes or vaping nicotine, most have seen substantial overall improvement in their anxiety.

Besides encouraging our kids not to start vaping, what can we do if they have already started? It can be pretty challenging to quit nicotine, but the more attempts a person makes, the more likely they are to become free from nicotine.

Scare tactics don’t work, so we need to stay positive with our kids as we help them to stop using nicotine.

If kids are open to learning more about quitting, they could start by signing up for free support at state-approved websites (for example, mylifemyquit.org). We can also support our kids by:

• Holding vape devices for them

• Arranging appointments with therapists or addiction counselors trained in cognitive and motivational therapies

• Providing transportation to therapy

• Encouraging accountability in following behavioral interventions and medical treatments (e.g., step-down nicotine replacements, Zyban, Chantix)

• Rewarding kids with money or other incentives in achieving milestones toward abstinence

Lastly, there is recent encouraging research on young adults (ages 18-24), which showed that close to half had quit vaping nicotine with the support of coaching from a telephone-based quitline (Vickerman et al. Am J Prev Med. 2024).

If our kids choose to vape nicotine, we can support them to quit. And getting them to take ownership of stopping nicotine is one of the most important aspects of quitting. Staying positive as you encourage your kids to make healthy choices will preserve your relationship with them and increase their chances of success.

Warmest regards,

Len

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