More and more teenagers. What can you do as a parent?

The number of vaping teenagers increased again last year. 7.6 percent of young people between twelve and eighteen sometimes used or even an e-cigarette every day in 2024, according to figures published on Tuesday Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) collected from the National Youth Monitor. In 2023 that was 6.1 percent, the year before 3.7 percent.

At the same time, 40 percent of the twelve to sixteen-year-old youngsters indicated- in a study for the Ministry of Health- that they are addicted to their e-cigarette. The same study shows that many young people find it difficult to say no to friends when they offer a vape, or even feel under pressure to vapen.

Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Health launched the campaign ‘No to vapen’who focuses in particular on parents. They must enter into a conversation with their child as early as possible about the dangers of Vapen.

But how should they do that? NRC Speaked of this with Youssef El Markhous, prevention expert and project leader Nicotine at Jellinek.

You fear that your child Vapet. How do you have that conversation?

« Try to start an open and judgmentless conversation. We know that children show more resistance if the parent judges. Regardless of how difficult: try to keep your own emotions in the background. And ask about the bigger picture: what does your child get from vapen? Does it happen a lot? Do friends do it? And if it himself has the repair, the repair, has the repair, the repair, has the repair, has the repair – Vapen is bad, stop! – Little sense. Instead, ask about what it gives your child. You can give your own opinion about vapen and say that you are worried, but don’t let the judgment over the tone. « 

How can you let the dangers of Vapen penetrate your child?

« Sometimes I hear parents or teachers make the subject very great: » Soon you will also be addicted to cocaine! « That will not help, because you lose contact with your child. Many teenagers do not even know what cocaine is. So keep it in fact and meets the experience and development phase of your child.

« Short -term effects arrive much harder for teenagers than hazards in the long term. Explain that you can get cancer from vapen, few twelve -year -olds will prevent it. Instead, explain that your condition is deteriorating. Your skin will be less radiant, your tooth enamel is affected, you get a bad breath and it costs a lot of more arguments. »

« It is important to find out what the vape brings your child – the use often has a function”

Are thirteen year olds still sensitive to the opinion of their parents? Don’t their friends have much more influence?

« At that age they indeed fall much more under the sphere of influence of their friends than younger children, but research shows that the influence of the parents remains important.

« What doesn’t work is a conversation about resilience: » You just have to learn to say no.  » Teenagers find it extremely difficult to go against their friends.

« As a parent, you can start the conversation about what would happen if your child would say no. Teenagers were often afraid that they will be laughed at or bullied, but there is a discrepancy between their fear and what actually happens. You can do role play with your child to practice such conversations. »

Does it make sense to ban the vape at home?

« Then you only make the problem invisible to yourself. And then it is not solved. It is important to find out what the Vape brings your child – the use often has a function. Is there stress, fear, a trauma, your child may be bullied? »

« Teenagers find it difficult to go against friends. They have a strong biological need to belong to the group »

What should you do if your child is addicted to vapen?

« That is a long -term process. Conducting a stopping conversation as does not make much sense. Try to make open conversations space for the slow awareness of your child that stopping is a good idea.

« If you have just started vapen, that step is less than if you have been addicted for a year. Then it is often intertwined with other habits, such as waiting for the bus, cycling to school, scrolling on your phone, or hanging with friends. Requiring your child immediately is unrealistic.

“If the step to a stop-with-vapen coach turns out to be too great, you can also experiment together with skip once. Instead of coming up with a different activity every day at the weekend. Then your child will learn how it is without Vape, it will learn what that mentally and physical does. That way you will not blame the tab. child. ”

To share

Mail the editors