Help Keep Youth from Smoking or Vaping
Date: 10/17/25
Youth and young adults need to know the dangers of using any type of tobacco now and in the future. As a parent or caregiver, you’re a powerful influence. Even if you do not think your teenager is listening to you, start talking about tobacco now.
Kids today are exposed to more than just cigarettes. There are e-cigarettes, vapes, hookah dissolvable tobacco, and more. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, 5.6 million Americans younger than 18 today will die early from smoking-related diseases.
It is important to choose the right time and place to talk about the dangers of smoking. It is also important that you have open lines of communication. You may need to talk about smoking and vaping more than once. Below are tips to help with your conversation.
- Maintain a dialogue. Start early. Begin talking with your kids about smoking and vaping in kindergarten. Be honest and open to seeing things from your child’s point of view. And don’t stop. Keep the conversation going as kids get older.
- Think more than cigarettes. Explain that smokeless tobacco, hookah and e-cigarettes all have dangers, including nicotine addiction.
- Prepare your kids for peer pressure. Discuss what they might say if a friend offers a cigarette or e-cigarette.
- Set a good example. If you smoke or vape, the best thing you can do is quit. At least don’t smoke around your children.
- Establish a smoke-free home. Don’t allow family members or friends to smoke in your home or car. Make sure the places where your child spends a lot of time are tobacco-free.
If your child has started smoking or vaping, try to learn why. There are programs and resources that have been developed specifically for teenagers and young adults to help them quit. These include:
- American Lung Association: Not On Tobacco (NOT) - Proven Teen Smoking and Vaping Cessation Program
- Become a Smokefree Teen: Tools & Tips
- CDC Resources to Help Youth Reject or Quit Vaping
- Truth Initiative: Digital Quitting Program
- Truth Initiative: How to Help a Child Quit Vaping
Additional support can be found at:
SmokeFree.gov: Why You Should Quit
American Lung Association: Quit Smoking
Sources:
American Heart Association: How to Keep Kids and Teens from Smoking and Vaping
American Cancer Society: Keeping Your Children Tobacco-free