Preventing Smoking & Vaping
Helping young people to make evidence informed decisions to not smoke or vape helps to protect their developing brains from nicotine exposure and their whole bodies from the other health effects from inhaling aerosols or smoke.
While tobacco smoking rates have fallen significantly in recent years – especially for young people, rising rates of vaping puts this progress in danger. Educating young people on the history and health effects of tobacco products can help them put vaping into perspective, especially when looking at the mimicking marketing tactics that the industry is using to entice new users. Current research shows that young people who vape are 3–4 times more likely to smoke combustible cigarettes, when compared to young people who do not vape.
Vaping is generally considered less harmful than smoking, however, the long term health effects of vaping are still being investigated since they have only been widely available since approximately 2010, making long term use still relatively new.
Nicotine is the addictive drug in both tobacco and vapes – and is most recently found in oral nicotine pouches that are manufactured and sold by tobacco companies (brand names of Zonnic or Zyn). These pouches do not contain tobacco, but do contain nicotine, wood fibers, and other chemicals to enhance flavour and alter the pH to help the nicotine absorb quickly through the lining of the mouth. While they were approved by Health Canada as a quit aid – we are seeing them be used by young people as a discrete way to use nicotine. Research on any harms from these is not available yet since they are so new, but we do know that nicotine disrupts brain development and how addiction can have a negative effect on mental health and mood.
Nicotine negatively affects mental health and mood – especially in young people when brains are still developing (<age 25). Check out this website for information on how nicotine affects mental health.
It’s important to have open and frequent conversations with young people about nicotine and vaping so they feel comfortable asking questions and get accurate information. For ideas on how to start conversations check out this page from Eastern Ontario Health Unit: Conversation Starters About Vaping
Below is more information on what vapes are, their health effects, marketing, and what laws govern their sale, supply, and use.
More resources about vaping:
- Vaping and Teens Resource
- Vaping and Nicotine Short Video (1:19)
- Vaping and Youth – Consider the Consequences. A campaign from Health Canada
- Parent resources – Talking to your kids about vaping
- Not An Experiment: Don’t treat your health like an experiment: The long term health effects of vaping are still unknown.
- Do you know a young person who vapes? Check out this toolkit that offers simple ways to talk to youth about quitting: Start a brief conversation about quitting
Looking for school curriculum supports to help prevent smoking and vaping? Check out this Smoking & Vaping Resource for Educators
Quash – an online quit program specifically for youth
Feel better. Save money. Take back control. Quash is a made by-youth, for-youth, free quit program that works for vaping or smoking. It helps you create a plan that works for you.
Not interested in a program? Check out this easy online quit plan for a simple way to get started: Your Vaping Quit Plan.
For more resources on quitting vaping or smoking – check out our Help Quitting page for more resources. To speak to a trained quit provider – call the Health Unit at 1-800-660-5853 or email [email protected].
Additional Resources
What You Need to Know About E-Cigarettes – Canadian Cancer Society