Not sure if I should be happy

[Tyfghter]

I just found out my 17 year old cousin started vaping a few months back and he was afraid to tell me, and his mother! To be honest, part of me is relieved!

a little background: I come from an entire family of smokers, aunts, uncles, cousins, all of us smoke with the exception of maybe 5 (out of 50+ people). Most of us starting at around the age of 13-15, it just seems like the thing to do in our clan I guess. Secretly I worry about my younger cousins picking up on our bad habits, just as I did. Seeing your entire family smoke and being around it all the time, its kind of hard to imagine NOT ending up a smoker yourself.


any who, when he told he was vaping, and that he things cigarette smoke is disgusting... I smiled inside soo much. there is hope for us yet!

 

[cinetrope]

Given your family history, vaping seems to be the lesser of two evils. Glad it exists aa an alternative. Perhaps he can flip a few aunts, uncles, or cousins!

 

[Das Auto]

Better vape than he came out and told you he's addicted to (OTHER STUFF) !

It's all degree's, right!

 

[Bad Ninja]

If it gets him off cigs then it's not a big deal.
My guess is in a few months he'll be "too cool" for vapes and move on.

Lol

 

[dbrandt01]

The thing that gets me is, you said he thinks smoking is disgusting. Making me think that he hasn't smoked but just grew up around it. If that's the case, then why vape?

I'd be more curious how he's getting it, if a shop is selling it than that's bad. If he's getting it online and lying, that's bad as well.
Better than smoking at least, but he probably could've waited til he was 18 if he wasn't a smoker before hand.

 

[twgbonehead]

If it gets him off cigs then it's not a big deal.
My guess is in a few months he'll be "too cool" for vapes and move on.

Lol

The thing that gets me is, you said he thinks smoking is disgusting. Making me think that he hasn't smoked but just grew up around it. If that's the case, then why vape?

I'd be more curious how he's getting it, if a shop is selling it than that's bad. If he's getting it online and lying, that's bad as well.
Better than smoking at least, but he probably could've waited til he was 18 if he wasn't a smoker before hand.

Wow, I'm really surprised at the negativity!

I think it's AWESOME that a kid, with a high probability of becoming a smoker, has instead become a vaper! dbrant, would you have preferred that he just smoked until he turned 18? Or are you saying that all kids could've waited to start smoking until they were 18? They could have, but in large numbers, they don't. Yeah, I wish the IRS paid me every April 15th instead of the other way around, doesn't mean that's something I ought to expect!

Tyfghter, I personally think this is awesome, and I do understand why he hid his vaping from you guys for a bit. I hope you smiled "outside" a little, and not just inside!

 

[smacuser]

My 20 year old son vapes; he picked it up from me.

Yeah, he hung out with smokers and smoked as a teen. He's also in the restaurant/bar trade with lots of employees who smoke; to date, he's converted at least 3.

My only worry is that, in fact, vaping turns out to be a nightmare for your health.

Chances are slim, I know, but there is that "what if?". I think maybe kids ought to be encouraged to really think about what it is they are getting into while they are still young. If the advice doesn't stick, there's no foul for trying.

 

[twgbonehead]

My 20 year old son vapes; he picked it up from me.

Yeah, he hung out with smokers and smoked as a teen. He's also in the restaurant/bar trade with lots of employees who smoke; to date, he's converted at least 3.

My only worry is that, in fact, vaping turns out to be a nightmare for your health.

Chances are slim, I know, but there is that "what if?". I think maybe kids ought to be encouraged to really think about what it is they are getting into while they are still young. If the advice doesn't stick, there's no foul for trying.

Chances are slim that kids will actually think about what they're getting into.

Sorry, I just don't see your worry about the long-term effects of vaping, particularly about it being a "nightmare for your health". Yes, there are major changes in our environment which are starting to be recognized as health "nightmares".
Plastic containers releasing estrogen into the water table, which is causing earlier menstrus in girls, major fertility problems in fish populations, and is suspected of being a contributing factor in male human fertility issues. (This I mention separately, because it's happening on such a wide scale and is completely independent of behavior)

Gasoline additives that replace "bad" with "worse". ebola. HIV, smoking, superbacteria, west-coast drought. These are threats, which have a reasonable probability of being health nightmares for many many people.

Vaping as a "health nightmare"? Do you really worry about such a thing?

 

[smacuser]

These are initial thoughts as a guardian to our youth.

I still cough in the morning and believe it could be related to vaping; where do the flavorings go?

 

[twgbonehead]

These are initial thoughts as a guardian to our youth.

I still cough in the morning and believe it could be related to vaping; where do the flavorings go?

Do you ever encounter air-fresheners? Or perfume, or body spray/scents? These are nastier than the food flavorings in e-liquid.
Do you ever go outside? Unless you live in the wild remotes, you are exposed to exhaust fumes that are much nastier than e-liquid.

And if you are a guardian, be a guardian to YOUR youth. That is your responsibility.
I am the guardian for MY youth, I do not take that responsibility lightly, and I definitely do NOT believe that you or anyone else should have the right to usurp me unless I have been found to be a bad parent. (Which I am not).

To be honest, I an horribly offended that you describe yourself as a guardian to our youth. Who gave you that right? Who gave you that title? Why would you even conceive that it would be a legitimate thing to say?

 

[Frenchfry1942]

Whether he smoked or not he is setting a very good example. If he learns about vaping, maybe he can show others.

I understand that he is 17, but, if he does it with "some" supervision...????? I don't believe he should vape in the classroom but he is demonstrating character and maturity in front of his family.

I applaud him.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Wow, I'm really surprised at the negativity!

I think it's AWESOME that a kid, with a high probability of becoming a smoker, has instead become a vaper! dbrant, would you have preferred that he just smoked until he turned 18? Or are you saying that all kids could've waited to start smoking until they were 18? They could have, but in large numbers, they don't. Yeah, I wish the IRS paid me every April 15th instead of the other way around, doesn't mean that's something I ought to expect!

Tyfghter, I personally think this is awesome, and I do understand why he hid his vaping from you guys for a bit. I hope you smiled "outside" a little, and not just inside!

What negativity?
I said it's not a big deal.
Especially if it stops him from smoking.
Keep in mind it's a minor and at 17 it's technically illegal.

I had not one bit of negativity in my post.
In fact it was all quite positive.

 

[smacuser]

Do you ever encounter air-fresheners? Or perfume, or body spray/scents? These are nastier than the food flavorings in e-liquid.

Some perfumes can be nasty.

Do you ever go outside? Unless you live in the wild remotes, you are exposed to exhaust fumes that are much nastier than e-liquid.

True.

And if you are a guardian, be a guardian to YOUR youth. That is your responsibility.
I am the guardian for MY youth, I do not take that responsibility lightly, and I definitely do NOT believe that you or anyone else should have the right to usurp me unless I have been found to be a bad parent. (Which I am not).

That's good.

To be honest, I an horribly offended that you describe yourself as a guardian to our youth. Who gave you that right? Who gave you that title? Why would you even conceive that it would be a legitimate thing to say?

Because I chose to have children.

 

[twgbonehead]

Because I chose to have children.

Which allows you to be a guardian to YOUR children. Not other people's children, which was my point. The phrase "our youth" implies something totally different.
I hope you are a good parent to your children. But, the fact that both you and I have children does not make them "our children".

 

[OldBatty]

Yeah, I wish the IRS paid me every April 15th instead of the other way around, doesn't mean that's something I ought to expect!

I have a six year anniversary coming up on the 15th. They do not send me a check, but I have saved about $12,000 and my wife about $8,000+ more these past six years by not smoking. 20 grand and we live in the state with the 3rd lowest tobacco taxes in the US.

Ain't many ways to legally stick it to the guberment!

 

[SissySpike]

There will always be heated discussion about this topic. When it comes to children people have strong opinions. Granted this kid is almost 18 so its not like he is 12 I dont feel qualified to give much of an opinion buy reading a short paragraph I know nothing of the OP as a person of the cousin mentioned or the kind of life hes led in his short 17 years. There are kids who are exposed to more of the ugly side of life before they are 18 than most will see in a life time. So I chose to not judge another before I walk in their shoes.

 

[smacuser]

Right on. Nor do I.

 

[Spencer87]

please try to keep things on topic and be respectful of other users.

 

[KattMamma]

Given the background of coming from a family of smokers, I think it's commendable that he chose to vape instead. If it was my cousin, or nephew, or grandson, I'd be perfectly fine with it.

 

[rolygate]

Sorry but our staff need to be respected because of the pain, effort and time they give to stop members reducing threads to a fistfight. Don't disrespect them or you risk a vacation.

Be courteous to others all the time - no matter how hard that may be for you - and respect staff decisions, or leave. It's as simple as that. If anyone repeatedly makes their job harder or disrespects them, we just don't need that person here.