How To Get Involved

There are many ways to get involved and help prevent children from vaping or misusing drugs. Start getting involved at home, have continuous conversations around vaping and substance misuse. Discuss your rules and expectations and the consequences of breaking rules. Discuss how children can respond to peer pressure and how you can help get them out of situations of drug misuse. Change your home environment to echo your conversations. For example, keep your home smoke free, limit your alcohol intake around your children.

Next, have your child get reliable information about vaping or substance use from a source that they find reliable such as a doctor. During your child’s next doctor visit, have their doctor discuss the danger and risks that these substances can cause.

Lastly, find ways to get involved in the community. Participate in school, city, county, and state prevention campaigns. Work to make a lasting change to support new policies and laws with vaping and substance misuse. Help to create activities that youth can attend that are substance free. SPEAC is a great starting point for school and community involvement. Check back for opportunities and events to join or attend coalition meetings.

By Kayla Baker

Regional Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Prevention Coordinator

MN Metro - Region 7

www.rpcmn.org

References:

1. Catch® My Breath (2021). Catch® My Breath Parent Toolkit. Retrieved from:

https://digitalcatchdirectuploads.s3-us-west-

2.amazonaws.com/thinkific/cmb/CATCH+My+Breath+Parent+Toolkit.pdf

2. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Quick Facts on the Risks of E-Cigarettes

for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults. Retrieved From:

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-

cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html#why-is-nicotine-unsafe

3. Mayo Clinic (2022). Teen Smoking: 10 Ways to Keep Kids Smoke-Free. Retrieved From:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teen-smoking/art-20047069