DALLAS, Feb. 18, 2020 — Today, the American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, Hopelab and All Mental Health launched research-backed tools to help parents navigate nuanced and often difficult conversations about the youth vaping epidemic.
According to the 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey, 5 million youth report having used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days and nearly one million report using them daily[1]. Talk Vaping With Your Teen resources provide a framework for parents to have calm, curious and respectful conversations, while providing clear and straightforward information to help their teen quit. Parents who can express an understanding of the challenges teens are up against, as it relates to vaping, are able to build trust and lead to better intervention.
“The youth vaping epidemic is one of the most significant public health concerns for our nation. Millions of young people are vaping and facing a lifetime of potential addiction and other long-term health effects,” said Rose Marie Robertson, M.D, FAHA, the American Heart Association’s deputy chief science and medical officer. “At the American Heart Association, we have heard from many young people who want to quit vaping but may have concerns or even be afraid to talk to their parents or other adults.”
The free information is available in two formats.
- A one-month emailed course, which provides weekly emails with the latest research about vaping, strategies for how to talk with a teen and techniques to ease the stress related to these conversations. This format is ideal for parents who want a consistent reminder and ongoing information. Parents interested in the emailed course can sign up at allmentalhealth.org/vaping.
- A Talk Vaping With Your Teen web app is a resource for parents ready to engage in conversations with their teen who need information right away to support the dialogue. The web app is compatible to both iOS and Android devices and can be accessed at talkvaping.allmentalhealth.org.
“It is now quite clear that vaping is not safe for teens making this a critical topic facing families today,” says Danielle Ramo, Ph.D., Hopelab’s director of research. “Helping parents to be prepared and knowledgeable about teen vaping will lead to better support and action. We are taking a step beyond telling parents to have a conversation with their child, to supporting them in those conversations for maximum results.”
Additional Resources:
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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for nearly a century. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, Twitter or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.
About Hopelab
Hopelab is a social innovation lab based in San Francisco, CA that creates behavior-change tech to help teens and young adults live happier, healthier lives. The organization works with young people to co-create interventions grounded in behavioral science and human-centered design, conducts rigorous testing, and distributes these solutions in collaboration with partners. Learn more at hopelab.org.
About All Mental Health
All Mental Health is a technology-driven nonprofit with a mission to increase access to mental health education. We partner with organizations and populations to create and provide accessible clinically validated digital resources for building mental health resilience.
For Media Inquiries:
American Heart Association
Linzy Cotaya: 504-872-3446; linzy.cotaya@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and strokeassociation.org
Hopelab
Shane Brentham: 415-818-8444; sbrentham@hopelab.org
For Public Inquiries: communications@hopelab.org
[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) data released in December 2019, https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/youth-tobacco-use-results-national-youth-tobacco-survey
