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AS PARENTS AND educators scramble to address skyrocketing vaping rates among teens, we can’t afford to neglect preteens, or kids 9 to 12, who are also increasingly using e-cigarettes as well.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, e-cigarette use by middle schoolers spiked 48% from 2017 to 2018. Among eighth graders, the increase was even more startling: An articlepublished last month in the New England Journal of Medicine noted that 4% of students surveyed in 2017 had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days; that rose to 6% in 2018 and to 9% of eighth graders surveyed this year – so more than double what it was just two years ago.
Early intervention is key. The 2018 Monitoring the Future survey found that by their senior year of high school, more than 20% of students reported vaping nicotine in the last 30 days, and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Southern California reported in the journal Pediatrics that 14-year-olds who tried e-cigs were three times more likely to try marijuana than students who hadn’t tried them.
While there is no such thing as an average middle schooler, they do share some distinct characteristics. Tweens are prone to increased risk-taking and sensory overload and may fail to think through consequences. Many are in the throes ofpuberty and are insecure and eager to fit in. They often have trouble predicting the consequences of their actions or resisting their desire for immediate rewards.
The good news is that tweens are still impressionable and care what adults think. So what you do and say has an impact on your child. Here are five ways parents and educators can decrease the odds that tweens will decide to vape:
Preview challenging social situations.
Parents can help tweens resist pressure to vape “the same way vaccines prepare our bodies to resist future viruses,” says Josh Compton, an associate professor of speech at Dartmouth College who researches inoculation theory.
In the case of vaping, a parent might say, “Some kids think that vaping is harmless, but it’s not. Vaping has made people really sick, and who knows how bad the long-term risks might be.” Or an adult could start with an explicit warning, saying, “You’ve told me that you’re not interested in trying vaping, and that’s the right decision,” Compton suggests. “But some kids, despite thinking they won’t try it, do get tempted, try it, get hooked and do get harmed.”
Help tweens formulate a plan.
Talk through peer negotiation strategies, but avoid lectures. Keep anecdotes and cautionary tales relevant. If you read an article about vaping statistics, ask them if they’re surprised by the numbers. If a classmate gets suspended for vaping in the bathroom, initiate a conversation.
Ask tweens to brainstorm hypothetical scenarios that would make it more tempting to vape with friends. Be authentic and acknowledge that it’s not always easy to make the right decision. An eighth grade girl explained her predicament: “I’d have a hard time saying no if the boy I liked asked me to vape with him.” Have your child come up with a list of set phrases, from “My parents would kill me” to “That stuff makes me sick” to avoid vaping when they feel social pressure to use e-cigarettes.
Encourage kids to take comparatively safe risks.
Middle schoolers are wired to seek fun and novelty, and they’re going to make some bad choices. Asserting autonomy is a developmental imperative, so encourage them to flex their risk-taking muscles in relatively safe ways. That might mean trying out for a team, auditioning for a play, running for class office or asking a classmate they like to a dance.
Give them the freedom to add or drop an extracurricular activity, and don’t micromanage their social life. Tweens are less likely to rebel when they’re treated as the expert on their own life.
Set the stage for good decision-making.
Tweens have little life experience or perspective and need help identifying positive coping strategies. Be vocal about how you relax and manage stress in healthy ways, and point out when you notice that a particular strategy is working for your child.
Kids also need help establishing good sleep habits. Sleep deprivation interferes with their ability to solve problems and make smart decisions. Children ages 10 to 12 need nine to 12 hours of sleep, while 13- to 15-year-olds need eight to 10 hours of rest each night, according to Christina Johns, a pediatric emergency physician and senior medical director at PM Pediatrics in Maryland.
Provide good information.
Scare tactics don’t work. Instead, make sure tweens have accurate information about the known risks of vaping. They may be getting their information (or misinformation) from other classmates or friends, and many don’t realize vaping is harmful. Research from the University of Buffalo reveals that adolescents are influenced by the available flavors, vaping’s popularity and a misperception that e-cigarettes are a safe alternative to smoking.
Explain that e-cigarettes contain nicotine and that vaping is addictive. Tell them it can have a negative effect on their developing brain and make it harder to pay attention. Share takeaways from research, like a 2018 study published in the journal Pediatrics that found kids who vape are getting exposed to carcer-causing compounds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that everyone refrain from using e-cigarette products while they investigate an outbreak of lung illness.
As you have these conversations, remember that tweens are acutely sensitive to both real and imagined criticism and don't want to invite drama, especially from their parents. If you remain nonjudgmental and calm, they will continue to come to you for advice and information.