Twelve Talks to
Have With Teens
Vape and Tobacco
Vaping is a problem across the country and continues to be prevalent in Colorado.
The good news is that the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey shows that the majority of Jefferson County high school students understand or perceive vaping as harmful.
Keep reading to learn how you can talk to the teens in your life about vaping and tobacco use, and how to support them in quitting or never starting in the first place.
According to the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 9.1% of Jefferson County high school students used an electronic vaping product in the past 30 days, 3.1% of Jefferson County high school students used cigarettes in the past 30 days, and 2.6% of Jefferson County high school students used other nicotine products in the past 30 days.
Youth who use vaping devices are four times more likely to smoke traditional cigarettes in the future (Association of Electronic Cigarette Use With Subsequent Initiation of Tobacco Cigarettes in US Youths | Tobacco and e-Cigarettes | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network).
The sleek designs, social media advertising and thousands of appealing candy/fruit-like flavors are appealing to youth. According to the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey, 22.3% of Jefferson County Youth vape because of flavors.
Vaping devices can be used discreetly as they can be disguised in hoodies, as key fobs, in mint tins, etc.
According to the CDC, teen brains are still developing until age 25, and science shows that nicotine is addictive and can harm brain development. Nicotine can make it harder for teens to concentrate, learn, or control impulses.
Jefferson County High School Age Youth
Jeffco youth reporting use of substances in the past 30 days by 9th to 12th grade.
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey
Video: Vaping 101 | Tobacco Free Colorado
Open Ended Questions
Here are some open ended questions you can use to talk to your teen about vape and tobacco:
- What do you think about addiction? What do you know about nicotine being addictive?
- If your friends wanted to try vaping, how would you handle it? Why do you think people your age vape?
- What do you think the tobacco industry wants you to believe about vaping?
- Over half of Jefferson County students who vape said they tried to quit in the past year (HKCS 2023). Why do you think it is so hard for them to quit?
- 85.1% of high school students in Jefferson County think people who use vape products everyday have a risk of harm(HKCS 2023). Why do you think they believe that?
Conversation Starters
If you see an ad pop up on social media, show it to your teen, then use it as an opportunity to ask questions.
If you drive past a vape store, point it out to your teen to start a conversation.
Ask your teen if they have ever seen videos about vaping or smoking. Ask if they will show you one, and then discuss how the videos subtly (or not so subtly) promote use.
Ask if anyone your teen knows has ever been caught vaping at school. Or, ask if your teen has ever seen other people vaping at school.
Talk with your teen about the consequences of tobacco use. Ask how your teen thinks using these products could impact their future.
Ask yourself
Do your teens – or their friends – know HOW to quit? Most teens don’t. Here is a list for free help available via phone, text or the web. Your teen, or you, can also reach out to the nurse at their school.
Would you recognize a vape if you saw one? Electronic cigarettes or vaping devices come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. Familiarize yourself with what these products look like. Disposable products are popular.
Do youth in your life know how you feel about selling or giving vape or tobacco to others? Let your teen know what your values are about selling addictive and harmful substances, particularly to younger kids.
How many youth are actually vaping? Youth vaping has become prominent because it is seen as normal, which is a result of increased product accessibility to teens and the tobacco industry targeting youth. Because of this, many teens believe that “everyone vapes,” when in reality 29.4% of Jefferson County high school students report ever having used an electronic vapor product (HKCS 2023).
Did you know targeting youth and minority populations with flavored tobacco is a key strategy of the tobacco industry? For example, 85% of all African Americans who smoke use menthol cigarettes, including seven (7) in ten (10) African American youth. Two videos from the Truth Initiative about this are Black Lives/Black Lungs and Read Between the Lies.
Data included on this page includes:
Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2023 (HKCS 2023)
Jefferson County Communities That Care Youth Town Hall 2024 (YTH 2024)
