Vaping Resources for Parents: DARTA and Education Writer Linda Stade
Staff at CSPWA have recently been involved with a number of parent reference groups, following on from the Catholic School Parents Australia survey. We heard from several parents that vaping is an issue at their school and they would like to work with staff to try and find solutions. We understand that this is not an easy fix for several reasons, but have listed below some available resources to help parents to have those more difficult conversations with their children.
Paul Dillon, Director and founder of Drugs and Alcohol Research and Training Australia (DARTA) has a dedicated parent resources section on his website: https://darta.net.au/vaping-parent-resources/ which includes the links below. He will also be hosting a webinar for parents on Monday 14th November. For more information, please click here.
DARTA Fact Sheet for Parents – this resource answers the most frequently asked questions that parents have about e-cigarettes and vaping. Special attention is given to disposable vapes bought illegally in Australia that appear to be the devices preferred by young people
DARTA Fact Sheet for Young People – using a series of FAQs basic information is provided on vaping, including answers to ‘Is vaping safe?’ and ‘Is vaping safer than smoking?’
DARTA Information Sheet for Parents: What if you discover your child is vaping? – finding out that your child is vaping can be confronting for many parents. This resource provides information on how to prepare for a discussion with your child, as well as a suggested ‘step-by-step’ process of what you should say to ensure the best outcome
DARTA Information Sheet for Parents: How to respond to common vaping statements – parents are often met with statements about vaping ‘safety’ when attempting to challenge their teen’s use of these devices. This Information Sheet provides some possible responses that parents could use to address such statements
Vaping Resources for Parents – links to resources specifically developed for parents, as well as some downloadable fact sheets on how to talk to their children about vaping and the associated risks
Doing Drugs With Paul Dillon Podcast Vaping Episode
Linda Stade has written the below article to offer practical advice to try and manage risk taking behaviour and in particular vaping.