Parents: Need to Know

Parents and caregivers who are concerned about their child’s use of e-cigarettes may want to put an immediate stop to their child’s vaping. But confrontation can backfire and lead youth to rebel and reject parental advice. The CDC recommends that parents and caregivers:

• Be patient and ready to listen. Have a conversation, not a lecture.
• Avoid criticism and encourage an open dialogue.
• Allow the conversation to take place over time, in bits and pieces.
• Be prepared to answer questions about the health impact of e-cigarettes.
• Set a positive example by being tobacco-free and refraining from vaping.

24/7 Help

Your patients who vape can get free help to quit e-cigarettes by calling the 24/7 Texas Tobacco Quitline. It offers free and confidential cessation services, including counseling, text coaching and nicotine replacement therapy for eligible callers. Counseling is available to those 13 years of age and older.

• Call toll free 877-937-7848 (877-YES-QUIT)
• Visit the Texas Tobacco Quitline at yesquit.org

Refer patients to the Texas Tobacco Quitline via fax or mobile application:

• Fax: 800-483-3114
• Online: yesquit.org/toolkit.htm
• Download mobile application from the University of Texas at Austin’s Tobacco Research and Evaluation Team. The app is designed to enable health-care professionals in Texas to refer individuals to the Texas Tobacco Quitline.

Link to the app in the Appendix.

Alert: E-Liquid Poisoning Risk

Young children are at risk for poisoning by ingesting or skin exposure to the concentrated and often-flavored nicotine liquid solution in e-cigarettes. Exposure can cause vomiting, nausea and eye irritation in children. “Even a small taste of this liquid can cause nicotine poisoning in a child” (National Capital Poison Center, 2021). At least one young child in the U.S. died after ingesting the nicotine solution of an e-cigarette, according to the AAP (2020). All e-cigarette products should be stored away from young children and not used in their presence.