Today’s young people are navigating unprecedented levels of stress, oftentimes without a sufficient support system. Some young people are turning to vaping and other nicotine products to relax. Trusted adults learn how to pay attention to the mental health of young people, listen to their experiences without judgment, and show up with care. This can help young people feel seen, supported, and better equipped to cope with life stressors in healthier ways.
Let’s start with what we know: young people today are struggling. Forty percent of high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Half of all mental illness first emerges around age 14, making adolescence a critical window for mental health support.
The numbers get more stark when you look at identity: LGBTQ+ youth experience poor mental health at more than twice the rate of their peers. Suicide rates are highest among American Indian and Alaska Native youth, and rates among BIPOC young people are rising faster than among white youth.
In addition to this, more than half of teenagers with major depression don’t receive any mental health treatment. They’re worried about not being taken seriously, can’t afford care, can’t access it, or are concerned about privacy.
So what do they do instead? They find their own ways to cope. This might include vaping.
You might be hearing a lot about “vapes,” “vaping,” and “ENDS,” which stands for Electronic Nicotine Delivery System. ENDS can include vapes, or electronic cigarettes containing the highly addictive substance nicotine. There are other nicotine-containing products on the market, such as dip/chew, Zyn, and other types of nicotine pouches. When we talk about vaping, know that we’re also including other types of nicotine-containing products that are harmful to health.
Additionally, any reference to “tobacco” refers specifically to manufactured, commercial tobacco and nicotine products, not to sacred and traditional tobacco used by indigenous groups.
Here’s something that might surprise you: the top reason young people vape now is relaxation. Ten years ago, it was experimentation. Now it’s stress relief: teenagers are dealing with many life stressors. They’re living in a deeply connected world that can feel overwhelming.
Most young people (83%) know that daily vaping is risky. Nearly all of them (95%) know their parents would disapprove. They’re not vaping because they’re clueless—they’re vaping because they’re looking for a way to manage stress, and nicotine provides that quick hit of dopamine that feels like relief.
But here’s the trap: as that dopamine wears off, withdrawal kicks in with irritability and anxiety, creating a cycle that keeps them coming back for more.
Meanwhile, Big Tobacco is actively targeting young people and other vulnerable populations.
Most young people aren’t vaping. Only 9% of high school students currently use vaping products, and of those who do vape, more than half want to quit.
This isn’t about demonizing teenagers who vape—it’s about recognizing that vaping is often a symptom of an underlying need for support with stress, anxiety, or other mental health challenges. It’s also about recognizing that our mental health care systems aren’t set up to support young people in all the ways they need to be supported.
When you see a young person vaping, don’t just see a rule-breaker. See someone who might be trying to cope with something bigger than they can handle alone.
Your role might not be to be their therapist (unless you are their therapist!), but you can be the trusted adult who helps them recognize that there are healthier ways to manage stress and connects them with appropriate resources when needed. You can validate that their world may feel overwhelming right now, while helping them build better tools for dealing with that reality. To learn more about how you can be a trusted adult, check out our Trusted Adult Principles.
