Your mental health. Your choices. Your strength.
Peer pressure is real and so is your power to stand strong.
Explore how vaping affects mental health, learn how to handle pressure, and discover ways to protect your headspace while staying true to yourself.
FACT
The most common reason Canadian youth say they vape is to reduce stress. ¹
Did you know?
Nicotine and cannabis can make feelings of stress and anxiety worse!
Whether it’s nicotine or cannabis, vaping affects your stress levels. In other words, each time a person vapes, their body responds like it would if they were stressed or anxious.¹ ²
The effects of stress hormones for a short period of time are okay, but if these hormones are released every time a person vapes, the same health problems that come from unmanaged stress can happen to someone who is vaping. ³
These include:
- depression or low mood,
- headaches,
- problems with falling asleep and/or staying asleep,
- changes in appetite,
- and problems with memory and concentration. ³
FEELING THE WEIGHT?
If you’re looking to find ways to help manage stress or anxiety, ditch the vape and try some of these instead:
FEELING THE PRESSURE?
Whether it comes from peers, social media or even family, feeling pressure can make it hard to decide what to do or say.
Here are some ways to stand up to the pressure:
Refuse the offer “No thanks, I’m good”
Blame something else “my mom would kill me if started vaping”
Suggest a different activity “I’m hungry, let’s grab lunch”
SUPPORTING OTHERS TO QUIT
Help your friends by sharing the tips on this page. Remember that quitting can be hard, and it may take a few tries before they quit for good. Stay positive and encourage them along the way.
Need support? You don’t have to handle tough feelings alone.
If you or someone you know needs to talk, help is available 24/7.
Kids Help Phone
Text CONNECT to 686868
Call 1-800-668-6868
It’s okay to ask for help.