Smoking youth. What would you do?

[RoseB]

The subject of people under the age of 18 and e cigarettes has been a topic on here before. I am bringing it up again. Sorry to keep swacking away on the dead horse, but I've got some questions. Today I noticed my neighbor's son smoking a cigarette with his mom. He's under 18. My instinct is to inform them about e cigarettes. Except there is so much back lash on the subject, especially in regards to the media. The mom & son both know I use an e cigarette, and I've showed it to the mom. It's really sad to see kids picking up cigarettes. I started smoking at 12 and was smoking frequently by 13. What do the members of ECF think about the subject? How about the high school kids I see smoking when they get out of school? I drive by there everyday and see plenty of young folks smoking. Is informing them ok? Or should I just turn a blind eye? Not that I would let them try my stuff or give them anything. I had a reputation for obsessive carding, and it just goes against my nature. Or would it be pointless to inform? Part of the appeal of smoking for the younger crowds is the danger. It's rebellious and naughty. I wonder if e cigarettes fall into the dorky fanny pack category of old people un-coolness. Not that I want kids getting into e cigarettes, but rather I want to see if it has any appeal to kids who're already smoking. Thoughts?

 

[Dreaswi]

There are plenty of kids using e-cig. I work in a B&M and kids are buying all the time. We only sell to 18 and older but at least a few times a week we are turning kids away.

It only takes one person to start a revolution.

 

[CommaHolly]

I don't think there's much you can do except inform the parents, if you know them,,,,,

but in your neighbor's case, she was smoking outside WITH her child, so presumably, she already knows.

My parents chose to allow me to smoke at 16,,,,,,probably because I would have snuck them anyhow,,,,,,

at some age, kids need to learn that their choices are sometimes bad ones,,,,,,,,,

 

[RoseB]

There are plenty of kids using e-cig. I work in a B&M and kids are buying all the time. We only sell to 18 and older but at least a few times a week we are turning kids away.

It only takes one person to start a revolution.

Hmmmm I am not sure what to think of that 0_o It's cool you turn them away, and is the responsible thing to do. The cruddy part is, that things got twisted. E cigarettes are being pointed at as a "gateway" to smoking. I can go hours on 0 nicotine liquid. The feeling is not the same with cigarettes. After a couple hours my eyes were glazed over and I was frothing at the mouth lol. Seeing kids smoke is a bummer Plus how in the H do they afford it? Seriously smokes are about 8 bucks a pack here

 

[CommaHolly]

are you kidding? kids today have more money than us adults THAT'S how they afford it

 

[Jarbs]

kids are and have always been stupid. they will do stupid things. they're taught the dangers of smoking in their school health classes. people have to make up their own minds to what they choose to do, stupid or not.

 

[Mrdieter]

I know when I was in high school e cigs where kinda cool in my school. Only issue was they where a hard thing to get if you didn't have a debit/credit card. tobacco shops around here (only place to get vape gear) ask for IDs all the time. So until we grew up and started hating cigs cause of what they did to us, vaping was a more accessible option cause we had jobs and debit/ credit cards to buy these awesome items. So maybe it's that kind of factor that kids don't want to/can't get vaping gear as easy as they can cigs.


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[DetraMental]

I feel your pain RoseB. That is a dilemma, kinda damned if ya do, damned if ya don't. If I knew a kid was smoking and had been smoking for sometime I'd refer them to ecigs to help them quit. Yep I would, it's the lesser of two evils. Talking to them about the bad things that come with smoking doesn't deter them. I know cuz' I was one of them. I started at 12yrs old and was addicted by 13. No one could keep me from them. After several decades of smoking I now know better and vaping has been my savior.

 

[MasteroftheVape]

I'd ask the mom why she fails as a parent. Now before I get flamed by all the "you can't always controll what your kids do" junk, I'm not saying she failed because the kid picked up smoking. As soon as she says i'ts ok, let's the kid smoke around her, and especially with her is when she failed. Now I probably wouldn't walk up to her and say that, but I'd be thinking it. On the same note, I won't even let my kids touch my vape stuff, not because its expensive or anything, but because I want them to know it's taboo. My 2cents, flame away.

 

[Moedog]

Regardless of what the ANTZ say about a drop in youth smoking rates, I've seen the opposite in the last 10 years. I've seen a big uptick and its not surprising. Without getting off topic, high school is infinitely more stressful than even in the last generation, and expectations for life after completion of school are uncertain. Add that to the fact that youth have more personal freedom than ever before and you have a perfect storm for increased tobacco use. In that context, I've had no problem with discussing vaping with my 18 year old neighbor (he's a really good responsible kid) who has been smoking several years. He really liked the ego I shared with him, but for now he's staying with his Reds...

 

[Tempesta]

Don't assume the mother is an idiot. When my mother discovered that i was smoking, she said she would let me, but only if I only smoked in her presence. Somehow, it took a lot of the bad-girl allure from it.

Back to the original queastion, IF you know the kids who are smoking, you might want to talk to them. I wouldn't speak to kids you don't really know about vaping, becuse they would probably blow you off and not pay attention.

 

[RoseB]

I'd ask the mom why she fails as a parent. Now before I get flamed by all the "you can't always controll what your kids do" junk, I'm not saying she failed because the kid picked up smoking. As soon as she says i'ts ok, let's the kid smoke around her, and especially with her is when she failed. Now I probably wouldn't walk up to her and say that, but I'd be thinking it. On the same note, I won't even let my kids touch my vape stuff, not because its expensive or anything, but because I want them to know it's taboo. My 2cents, flame away.

lol Why would that be flame worthy? In a way I agree. She gives him the cigarettes. I had to obtain my own. One of my parents smoked and you wanna know what happened? My cigarettes got confiscated and smoked in front of me!

 

[Grimwald]

My kids grew up way before e-cigs. Still, even tho I was a smoker, I let them know flat out that I would not condone their smoking. No way was I going to let my kids make the same mistake I did. None of the (3) ended up smoking.

As for the mom next door...you've done what you can and maybe she will see the light at some point. As for other kids, I would personally be careful...you never know when some parent is going to go on a rant about you enticing their innocent children to "smoke".

Back in the good ol' days, we raised children as a community...but those days are long gone. However, I'm still very good at yelling at the kids to get off my lawn.

 

[klynnn]

Kids are going to do what they have always done. Try whatever the latest fad is known to man. I raised holy hell with my son on smoking and today he thanks me. Looking at it now I might have said try this instead. I really think kids lose interest as fast as it arrives but with cigarettes there are extra chemicals that are designed to keep that interest as long as possible. Big tobacco has made a huge business of hooking people before they knew what happened, only surpassed by big pharma who wants to keep them that way.

 

[RoseB]

I know when I was in high school e cigs where kinda cool in my school. Only issue was they where a hard thing to get if you didn't have a debit/credit card. Tobacco shops around here (only place to get vape gear) ask for IDs all the time. So until we grew up and started hating cigs cause of what they did to us, vaping was a more accessible option cause we had jobs and debit/ credit cards to buy these awesome items. So maybe it's that kind of factor that kids don't want to/can't get vaping gear as easy as they can cigs.


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.....and now I feel old! You were into cigarettes first? Or were e cigarettes more appealing? If so please explain, inquiring minds would like to know.

 

[RoseB]

My kids grew up way before e-cigs. Still, even tho I was a smoker, I let them know flat out that I would not condone their smoking. No way was I going to let my kids make the same mistake I did. None of the (3) ended up smoking.

As for the mom next door...you've done what you can and maybe she will see the light at some point. As for other kids, I would personally be careful...you never know when some parent is going to go on a rant about you enticing their innocent children to "smoke".

Back in the good ol' days, we raised children as a community...but those days are long gone. However, I'm still very good at yelling at the kids to get off my lawn.

That's awesome that your kids don't smoke. Yeah I hear you about people getting pissy 0_o

 

[Iffy]

Try to educate... then evacuate!

Kids are gonna be kids. Dumb azz/lazy parents are gonna be dumb azz/lazy parents... <sigh>!

BTW, none of my progeny smoke, nor had/have any desire to do so... I was an awesome living/smokin' 'bad example'!

 

[Intervap]

I wouldn't confront them about it, just sounds like a bad idea to me. As someone who started when he was 12 (EVERYONE I knew smoked) and is now 19 I would just say to openly vape in front of them, make them curious. When I was 18 I was smoking 40 ryo a day and was sick of it, but couldn't stop for the life of me. Saw someone much older vaping at a concert, talked to them and they informed me pretty well and got me to switch!

 

[RoseB]

I wouldn't confront them about it, just sounds like a bad idea to me. As someone who started when he was 12 (EVERYONE I knew smoked) and is now 19 I would just say to openly vape in front of them, make them curious. When I was 18 I was smoking 40 ryo a day and was sick of it, but couldn't stop for the life of me. Saw someone much older vaping at a concert, talked to them and they informed me pretty well and got me to switch!

Well....I use a Provari with a ViVi Nova and a bright blue drip tip, and I am always using it lol. Can't really be stealth with something like that. My back up is an MVP that's not real stealth either A family friend who's in his 60's finally switched. He was ecstatic walking around Wal-mart using his blu. It was holiday season and the place was packed. I pulled out my MVP with an Evod held down the button and took a big drag. Not normally my style but meh what the heck. He said he would never use anything like that. My response: you say that now I educated a couple of local smoke shop owners when I first started. They hadn't even seen what was inside the sad little kr808 kits they carried until I bought one and opened it. I remember bringing in my inferno (eGo) and they were taking pics. Now they're carrying way over priced Z-max,Tesla mods, and Vamos When I found out I could use my mods and not be harassed over it....well I use them every where. A few times I was sitting outside of a local coffee shop, and someone called the cops... the cops came saw who it was and what I was using and left me alone Point is stealth vaping is way overrated. I do use my mod by the teenage smoking area, but in my car. So far I've refrained from talking to any youths about it. Mostly because of the bad info being spread around by the media. It's really sad to see younger people smoking. Just one of those things I guess...it is what it is.

 

[Mrdieter]

.....and now I feel old! You were into cigarettes first? Or were e cigarettes more appealing? If so please explain, inquiring minds would like to know.

Yes I was into cigarettes first. I'd love to share! I started smoking at 13 ( 20years old now) The only ecigs really around was what you could find on the internet. A lot easier for us to just get a senior to buy us regular tobaccos products. E-cigarettes didn't get around to my area really till the last 2 years or so sadly, and lacking a lot still. I tried them when I was in high school, it was the v2 cigs an it was pretty nice, I got into it until my carts ran out then I couldn't use it any more. If they sold the gas station disposables then I would have been able to keep with it, cause it was.... More fun then a cig was (from us as kids perspective), mainly cause we could use it in the bathrooms and no body would know, plus we knew it was safer then using chewing tobacco while in school. Also maybe it's me but the nicotine is always a lot nicer through vapping. It was just the needing to buy it online that was the brick in the wall for us and for me.


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