6 Subtle Ways to Tell Your Kid is Vaping
Previously, parents could easily tell when their kids smoked cigarettes from the strong smell of tobacco. With e-cigarettes, this is no longer the case. As a parent, you will not smell or see smoke to know that your child is vaping. Instead, you will come across vaporizer pens in your kids’ bedroom or backpacks. These James Bond-like pens deliver nicotine to users via heated vapor. Studies show that more high school students are trying e-cigarettes due to their perceived safety compared to ordinary tobacco cigarettes. Conventional cigarettes are known to deliver numerous toxic, cancer-causing compounds into a person’s body including carbon monoxide and tobacco. On the other hand, vaping mostly contains nicotine which can affect the cardiovascular system. But unlike ordinary cigarettes, parents can find it difficult to pick up the telltale signs should their kids begin to use slickvapes. Here are useful vaping signs that every parent should be aware of:
- Presence of a flavored scent
Vapor does not have a nasty smell that ordinary cigarettes produce. In fact, one of the reasons why e-cigarettes appeal to smokers is the fact that they do not have an odor. Instead, they have a delicious smell. Though deodorants have different flavors, it is difficult to come across one that has a similar smell to e-cigarettes. The vapor in e-cigarettes is laced with flavors such as mint, bubble gum or fruit punch. So, if you smell some of these flavors and you can’t find any juice containers, candy or gum wrappers, it could be an indication that your child is vaping. Consider investigating more even when you catch the smell and none of your children is around, there could be some vape juice placed in the house. One thing to note though, unlike deodorant, vape smell does not stick to clothes for a long time.
- Presence of Pen-Like Items
Vape pens resemble different items, they are available in different sizes and shapes. It is therefore useful for parents to note the various shapes that they come in including pens, stylus and thumb drives. If you come across such items in your child’s space, pay more attention. However, teenagers tend to prefer vape pens because those are not easy to differentiate from other ordinary writing pens. You can tell it is a vape pen if cannot write and it has holes on both ends. Also, look out for atomizers. This is the device in the vape pen that converts liquid into vapor. After some time, the atomizer burns out. This means it has to be replaced every so often. If you find an atomizer discarded in your child’s trash can, it is a strong sign that he or she is into vaping.
- Profuse sipping of liquids
People who use e-cigarettes tend to sip liquids more frequently. This is because their mouths tend to get dry every so often and they need to keep taking drinks to moisturize it. E-cigarettes contain an ingredient known as propylene glycol that tends to attract and hold water molecules that are within its environment, including the mouth. This increases thirst. If you notice your child begin to take more liquids than he used to, there are high chances that he could be vaping, you probably need to find out more.
- Frequent nosebleeds
People who use e-cigars tend to nosebleed frequently due to dry nasal passages. The dryness results from the water holding effect caused by some of the ingredients found in e-cigarette vapor. If you notice that your child’s nose appears bloody, you need to find out more because there is a possibility that he or she is vaping.
- Tendency to skip caffeine
There are e-cigarette users who develop a sensitivity towards caffeine. When this happens, they reduce their intake of products that have caffeine. If your child suddenly begins to pass the red bull drinks they used to value or any other caffeinated product like their morning cup of coffee, there are chances that they have developed sensitivity towards caffeine and you need to check because there is a high likelihood that it could be due to their vaping habit.
- Presence of charges, batteries and unusual metallic wires
Most devices we use every day need to be charged these days there is nothing odd about that. However, as a parent, you need to pay attention to charging devices in your child’s rooms. There are vaporizers that get charged via USB cables. If you come across cables that your kid’s phone does not use or you bump onto unusual batteries on the charger, there are chances a vaping device is just nearby. Also, look out for organic cotton wicks and thin metallic coils and empty plastic vials. The presence of such items should signal something more, and it’s likely that your child is vaping.
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