Four in five parents also think their adolescent or teen understands the health risks of vaping with few believing their child has tried it, according to the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at University of Michigan Health.
“Very few parents believe their child is vaping, but they may not have a realistic view about their child’s exposure or experiences with e-cigarettes,” said Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark, M.P.H.
“Most parents recognize the health risks of vaping and feel their child does too,” she added. “However, it’s important for parents to understand that the part of the brain that connects emotions to judgement is still developing for adolescents and teens and they may not consider long-term health effects in their daily actions.”
The nationally representative report is based on responses from 1,325 parents with at least one child ages 11-18 polled in February 2023.
Vaping has proliferated over the past decade, with hundreds of brands available on the market. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Youth Tobacco Survey found that in 2022 about 3% of middle schoolers and 14% of high school students said they’d vaped in the past 30 days.
Most parents are positive they would definitely or probably know if their child vaped from their kids telling them (67%), finding vaping supplies in their child’s things (57%), detecting it by smell (48%) or finding out from other people (37%).
“Based on national data about vaping prevalence among middle and high schoolers, many parents may be unaware that their child has tried it,” Clark said. “Devices can look like common objects that parents might not immediately recognize. Disposable vapes are becoming more popular and can be thrown away before teens are around parents or teachers. Vaping doesn’t have the telltale odor of traditional cigarettes. All this makes vaping harder to detect and easier to hide than some parents may realize.”
Five percent of parents polled say they currently vape themselves – and they’re more likely to say their child vapes as well. Another 18% of parents have vaped in the past.
Vaping is difficult to detect because it doesn’t have an obvious smell and devices have become increasingly discreet and easy to conceal. Vape products may resemble everyday items like USB drives, pens, smartphone cases and smart watches.
Even clothing items and backpacks have been designed to disguise vaping, including hoodies that hide a vaping device in the drawstring. Disposable vapes are easy to use and easy to purchase at a variety of locations and are thrown away once the cartridge is empty. (PB/Newswise)