It’s the age-old parenting conundrum: should you bring up tricky topics with your child or wait for them to come to you? There is also the consideration over when is the right age to broach certain subjects, and concern whether some are too “adult” for young minds to process.
With shops selling vapes in most malls and the addictive habit often marketed as a “lifestyle”, plus packaging and flavours that appeal to a younger demographic, vaping has become a major cause of concern for parents.
The 2025 ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey on vaping in the UK found that 20 per cent of 11–17-year-olds have tried vaping – about 1.1 million children. For the first time this year, the World Health Organisation estimated global e-cigarette use, finding that at least 15 million children between 13 and 15 years of age were using e-cigarettes. Meanwhile, a survey among university students across Arab countries found that neatly four in 10 university students in the UAE use vapes – the highest figure among the countries analysed.
Should parents bring up vaping or wait for their children to?
“Don’t wait,” says Christopher Seeley, principal at Dove Green Private School in Dubai, and a father of two. “If you wait, you’re already a step behind. Children today are smart, connected and curious – they know far more than we think, and silence can look like permission.
“You don’t need a big, dramatic sit-down talk; just keep it honest and open,” Seeley adds. “Treat it like any other conversation that shows curiosity is OK, but there’s a line between knowing about something and trying it.”
Along with more traditional conversations centred around growing up, such as relationships and puberty, today’s parents must also navigate subjects previous generations of mums and dads didn’t need to consider, such as social media and online safety.
While smoking is not a new concern for parents, vaping with its colourful packaging and fruity flavours is unmistakably youth-orientated, making it an important subject that should be openly discussed.
“It is often mistakenly believed that if parents are the first to raise a sensitive subject, like vaping, they might implant the idea in their children’s head,” says Sofia Stigka, psychologist at Thrive Wellbeing Centre in Dubai. “In reality, children are significantly exposed to such topics through their peers and social circles, so these subjects are unlikely to be new to them.
“The key question then becomes the accuracy of the information they receive from those sources,” explains Stigka. “Parents can prevent exposure to misinformation about vaping by being the first to talk about it with their kids, in spite of the discomfort that such a sensitive topic might bring.”
Allowing for natural teenage curiosity about vaping
With guardians are bombarded on a regular basis with information about different ways to raise children, parenting styles are often criticised or relegated to certain “tribes” – helicopter, free-range, crunchy, tiger moms.
With so many opinions and so much online noise around child-rearing, it can be difficult for parents to know when to allow for a child’s natural curiosity about the world, and knowing when to step in to protect them from that same curiosity.
“Curiosity is a positive sign of learning, independence and growing awareness,” says Dr Tayyaba Mushtaq, a specialist paediatrician at Aster Clinic, Dubai Investment Park. “Parents can validate this curiosity while explaining that some choices carry risks that are not worth experimenting with. Teaching children to ask questions, seek reliable information and think before acting helps them make safer decisions.”
Seeley adds: “Curiosity is healthy – it’s how children learn about the world. But curiosity doesn’t mean recklessness. We help them understand that curiosity should be guided, not impulsive.”
Helping your child deal with peer pressure around vaping
The 2025 ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey found that 11 per cent of those surveyed were vaping due to peer pressure, while 12 per cent vaped to “join in with others”.
Peer pressure is not a new thing for young people to navigate, but technology, social media and the internet have changed not only how children and teenagers communicate, but also how accessible they remain to the influence of others outside of the school gates.
“Acknowledging that children and teenagers are naturally drawn to groups for a sense of belonging and shared identity is the first step in addressing peer influence,” says Stigka. “Once a child feels validated and trust has been established, the parent can encourage the child to think critically for themselves, rather than follow the crowd. Instead of being the follower, motivating a child to be the leader or the habit-breaker is a great way to build and celebrate self-confidence.”
Parents should focus on how making healthy choices and going against the crowd is a greater demonstration of strength than relenting to peer pressure and engage in conversations that remain open and non-judgemental.
“The ‘everyone’s doing it’ line has been around forever – it was just something else when we were teenagers,” says Seeley. “What matters is helping children understand that fitting in isn’t the same as belonging. They need the language and confidence to say 'no' without feeling excluded. We can’t control every environment they enter, but we can help them walk in with values that stick.”
What are UAE schools doing about vaping?
There are many restrictions around vaping in the Emirates. These include making it illegal to sell vaping products to anyone under the age of 18 and banning the use of e-cigarettes in enclosed public areas.
Earlier this year, Gems Education announced a zero-tolerance campaign against vaping, which includes measures such as installing vaping detection sensors in schools and random bag checks.
“Every school is navigating this challenge – what matters is how we respond: education over punishment,” says Seeley. “At our school, we focus on honest, age-appropriate discussions, pastoral support and involving parents early. We’re also developing well-being programmes that build confidence and decision-making because if you only talk about vaping after you’ve caught someone, you’ve missed the point.”
