Help with 14yr old son vaping

[Sandee]

Hello we have previously caught my 14 yr old son vaping and sat down with him to explain the dangers to him regarding his health.

We thought that he had stopped for a couple of months but now have been told from his school today that the rumour is he is selling them.

We have no proof but he has only just started going to a new friends house before and after school and I fear that they may be right and he is in fact selling them.

If caught he will be expelled. I dont know what to do. My husband and I will be speaking to him again regarding the health issues associated with vaping and the fact its also illegal. He is not the easiest to talk to he either says absolutely nothing and walks off and says something like  here we go another life lecture.

He started a new school last year which didnt work out and I believe thats where the vaping started. He changed school in term 4 last year and has only just started to want to go to this new friends house in the last 2 weeks

Im so concerned regarding his health and those he is selling them too . Im at my wits end on how to handle this and hope someone here may have some advice please

[Bre-RO]

Hi there @Sandee 

Thank you for reaching out for support with your son. It's tough for many parents here on the forum to navigate conversations and concerns about vaping. You are definitely not alone in this struggle! 

It must be a shock to hear the rumours about your son selling vapes, especially considering you were under the impression he had stopped vaping. It sounds like you're feeling nervous about approaching this conversation with your son, which is understandable. 

I thought it might be helpful to provide you with some resources on vaping and communication with teenagers to help with the conversation. 

• Quit HQ has a range of information and support for nicotine use, including helping others quit. I wonder if it would be worth getting in touch with them to discuss the best way to approach the situation. If you think that would help, their contact is 13 78 48
• We have a few articles which may come in handy, the first that comes to mind is "Tips for having a difficult conversation with your teen".
• We've also got some resources on "Risk-taking and teenagers". 

If you need some one-on-one support, we have a free support service for parents which you can read more about here. Also, we are here to continue this conversation with you. 

Take care, and I hope to hear back from you!