Parents Less Aware of Kids' Vaping Than Smoking

Most parents know or suspect when their child smokes, but they are much more likely to be in the dark if the child vapes or uses other tobacco products, according to a large national study by researchers at UC San Francisco — which included School of Dentistry faculty Benjamin Chaffee, DDS, MPH, PhD, and third-year student Tsu-Shuan (Brie) Wu.

The study, which tracked more than 23,000 participants aged 12 to 17 years old, found that parents or guardians were substantially less likely to report knowing or suspecting that their child had used tobacco if the child used only e-cigarettes, non-cigarette combustible products or smokeless tobacco, compared to smoking cigarettes or using multiple tobacco products.

The researchers also found that when parents set strong household rules about not using tobacco – applying to all residents – their children were less likely to start tobacco use. Just talking to kids about not smoking was far less effective. The study published Oct. 4 in Pediatrics.

Read the complete story on UCSF.edu