Vape Addiction: The THC Use You May Not Even Notice, with Dr. Deepa CamengaVape Addiction: The THC Use You May Not Even Notice, with Dr. Deepa Camenga
Hopestream for parenting kids through drug use and addiction
Brenda Zane talks with Dr Deepa Camenga about teen vaping, focusing on nicotine and THC, early addiction signs and the links with mental health. The conversation offers practical advice for parents on responding calmly, setting boundaries and supporting young people who want to cut down or quit.
52:10•5 Nov 2026
Vapes, Teens and THC: What Parents Need to Know, with Dr Deepa Camenga
Episode Overview
- Vape products used by teens are often unregulated, so beyond nicotine or THC, the additional contents are unknown and potentially risky.
- Many young people report using vapes to cope with anxiety, trauma and stress, but longer-term use is linked with worsening mental health and memory.
- Kids can start vaping as early as 11 or 12, with discreet devices and peer pressure making it easy to use frequently and develop addiction.
- When a parent finds a vape, pausing, breathing, and approaching the child later with curiosity and calm discussion is more effective than reacting in the moment.
- Stopping vaping can intensify underlying mental health symptoms, so increased monitoring and support during early quitting attempts is important.
“Many of those kids want to stop for their parents. The question is, do they want to stop for themselves, right?”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety when the substance is a tiny, pastel-coloured vape hidden in a school rucksack? This conversation between host Brenda Zane and Dr Deepa Camenga zooms in on vaping, THC use, and why so many parents miss the signs until a device turns up in the laundry. Dr Camenga, a paediatrician and adolescent addiction specialist, breaks down what’s actually going on with nicotine and cannabis vapes.
She explains that most products young people use aren’t regulated, so, beyond knowing there’s usually nicotine or THC, "we don't know for any one vape what else could be in there," which she freely admits is terrifying. She also notes that kids are starting younger, often around 11 or 12, and many quickly feel out of control: "Many of those kids want to stop for their parents.
The question is, do they want to stop for themselves, right?" Parents get a realistic picture of why vaping feels so hard to quit. Teens talk about relief from anxiety, trauma and stress, but Dr Camenga links longer-term use with worsening mental health, poorer memory, reduced athletic endurance and even conditions like cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. She also touches on how vaping can become a social lifeline for kids who’ve felt excluded, which makes stopping even trickier.
The episode doesn’t shy away from tough scenarios: teens vaping after treatment, arguments that nicotine is the “only” thing keeping them away from other drugs, and parents wondering where vaping sits on the harm scale alongside pills, alcohol and fentanyl. Practical guidance is front and centre.
Dr Camenga walks through calm ways to respond when a vape is found, how early conversations in primary school can help, when inpatient care might be appropriate, and why parents should expect mental health symptoms to flare when a young person stops. If you’ve ever pulled a mystery gadget from a pocket and felt your stomach drop, this honest chat might be the steadying voice you need today.
What’s one small, calmer conversation you could start with your child this week?
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