E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco products by kids, with an estimated 1.63 million middle and high school students reporting having used them—and 1 in 4 using them daily. Available in fruit and dessert flavors, they’re marketed to imply that they aren’t dangerous or addictive.
Another new category, nicotine pouches, has also captured kids’ attention in recent years. These products, which require no spitting, are deemed more “socially acceptable” and are sold in fruit, candy and mint flavors. They’re widely marketed on social media, where they’re promoted as discrete and easy to hide from adults. In fact, a new study found a shift from 2023 to 2024, with a doubling in nicotine pouch past-30-day use, an increase in pouch plus e-cigarette dual use, and a decrease in exclusive e-cigarette use by high-schoolers.
Whether or not you’ve already talked about nicotine use with your kids, it’s time to have another conversation. Try these tips from the CDC, the American Lung Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Here’s how to start a conversation:
- Make it casual. You’ll usually get further if you bring it up when you see someone vaping, if you pass a vape store or if you see an ad on social media. Avoid saying “We need to talk,” which can elicit an eye roll.
- Explain why all nicotine is harmful, especially to kids. This includes harming brain development, which continues until about age 25; impacting memory and attention; and increasing the risk for future addiction to other drugs.
- Talk about how companies target kids specifically. Candy and fruit flavors are added to appeal especially to young people.
- List the harmful substances. Explain what e-cigarettes contain, including nicotine, heavy metals, and cancer-causing chemicals.
- Help them find resources to quit. If they’re already using, check out sites such as teen.smokefree.gov for support.
—Arricca Elin SanSone is a health and lifestyle writer.
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Read More:
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