The role of schools is to empower students to make informed decisions on vaping by engaging them with the facts.

There are side effects to vaping, and vaping is only recommended for smokers wanting to quit.

The biggest risks of vaping are the unknown risks. Vaping hasn’t been around long enough to know the risks of long-term use, but we do know it’s less harmful than smoking. - Ministry of Health

Legally, it is an offence to sell nicotine vaping products to young people aged under 18, and people cannot vape in legislated smoke-free areas (this includes all school grounds).

The key messages for parents to discuss with teens are:

● Explain that vaping is potentially less harmful than smoking, but it's only for smokers who want to quit.

● Vaping is not for non-smokers, especially children and young people.

● Explain that some vapes contain nicotine and that nicotine is a highly addictive substance that is very hard to stop once you’ve started.

● Vaping can also have an adverse effect on their physical activity and sports, and their overall health and wellness.

Learn how to have these conversations and get the facts on the Ministry of Health Vaping Website.