A free guide from Cima Find Care

My teen vapes. What now? Help for Texas parents

Stay calm, find out what your teen is vaping, and help them quit. Texas teens 13 and up can get free, confidential quit coaching by text, app or phone, and your teen's doctor can treat nicotine dependence. Here's what to know, from THC vapes and school rules to what insurance covers.

Updated October 27, 2026. General information, not medical, legal or insurance advice.

If you need help now: call 911 in an emergency. In a mental health or substance use crisis, call or text 988, any time. SAMHSA's National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357, is free, confidential and open 24/7 for treatment referrals. If someone swallowed e-liquid, call Poison Help, 1-800-222-1222. Texas teens and parents can also call the Texas Youth Helpline, 1-800-989-6884, free and confidential, 24/7.

The short version

Take a breath before you talk. A calm conversation gets you further than a lecture.
Find out what's in it: nicotine, THC (the high in marijuana), or both. The next steps differ.
Sign up for free help together. Text DITCHVAPE to 88709, or call the Texas Tobacco Quitline, 1-877-YES-QUIT (1-877-937-7848).
Book a visit with your teen's doctor. With Medicaid, quit counseling is covered for ages 10 and up.
Watch for bigger problems. Daily THC vaping, other drugs or big mood changes call for a substance use assessment.

Nicotine vapes and THC vapes

	Nicotine vapes	THC vapes
What's in it	Nicotine, the addictive drug in cigarettes. The FDA says most e-cigarettes contain it.	THC oil, often in cartridges or disposable pens
Main risks	Addiction, which can start before a teen vapes every day, and harm to the developing brain	Cannabis use disorder, and lung injury linked to THC vapes, especially from friends, dealers or other informal sources
Legal for a teen in Texas?	No. It's illegal to sell e-cigarettes to anyone under 21, and for anyone under 21 to have one.	No. Since September 1, 2025, Texas bars selling any vape that contains or is marketed as containing cannabinoids, and marijuana is illegal.
First step	A free quit program and a visit with the doctor	The doctor, and a substance use assessment if use is frequent

Vapes come in many shapes, and some look like everyday things such as pens or USB drives. If you find one and can't tell what's in it, ask your teen, and tell the doctor what you found.

What vaping does to a teen

About 1 in 20 U.S. middle and high school students (5.2%) used e-cigarettes in 2025, according to the FDA's National Youth Tobacco Survey, making vapes the tobacco product teens use most. What the CDC says about nicotine and teens:

The brain is still developing until about age 25, and nicotine can harm the parts that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control.
Addiction can come fast, sometimes before a teen vapes regularly.
It may raise the risk of later addiction to other drugs.
Quitting causes withdrawal: irritability, restlessness, feeling anxious or down, trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating and cravings. These pass with time, but they're why teens keep vaping, and why support helps.

THC vapes carry their own risks. During the 2019–2020 outbreak of lung injuries from vaping (called EVALI), the CDC linked most cases to THC vapes and found vitamin E acetate, an additive in some THC products, in patients' lungs. The CDC advises against using THC vapes, especially from informal sources. The CDC also says teens are especially sensitive to cannabis, that about 3 in 10 people who use cannabis have cannabis use disorder, and that starting young raises the risk.

Texas law

Tobacco 21. Federal law has set 21 as the minimum age to buy any tobacco product, e-cigarettes included, since December 20, 2019. Texas law also bars selling or giving e-cigarettes to anyone under 21.
Teens who have a vape. In Texas, it's illegal for anyone under 21 to have, buy or use an e-cigarette. The Texas Comptroller says the fine is up to $100, and the court must order an e-cigarette and tobacco awareness program (or community service where no program is available) for a first offense.
THC and marketing to kids. A 2025 Texas law, SB 2024, bars selling vapes that contain or are marketed as containing cannabinoids such as THC, and vapes designed to appeal to minors, such as ones with cartoons or candy packaging. It took effect September 1, 2025.

School rules

Texas Education Code 37.006 covers vapes on school property, within 300 feet of it, and at school events. Since the 2025 law HB 6:

Offense	What the school must do
First time having or using a vape	Place the student in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP), or in in-school suspension for at least 10 school days
A repeat offense	DAEP
Selling, giving or sharing a vape	DAEP

School staff can also take the vape and tell local police. Vapes with THC can bring the stricter rules for drugs at school. Your district's Student Code of Conduct has the details; ask the campus behavior coordinator what applies, and whether a quit program is offered.

Free help to quit

All of these are free and confidential. The CDC lists the national ones; Texas's health department runs the state ones.

Program	How to start	Who it's for
This is Quitting (Truth Initiative)	Text DITCHVAPE to 88709	Teens and young adults who vape. In a study of 13- to 17-year-olds, teens who used it were more likely to quit. Parents can text QUIT to 202-899-7550.
My Life, My Quit (Texas)	Text "Start My Quit" to 36072, or go to MyLifeMyQuit.com	Texas teens 13 to 17, with coaches trained to work with teens, for vapes and tobacco
Texas Tobacco Quitline (Yes Quit)	Call 1-877-YES-QUIT (1-877-937-7848) or go to YesQuit.org	Texans 13 and older
SmokefreeTXT for Teens (National Cancer Institute)	Text QUIT to 47848, or go to teen.smokefree.gov	Teens quitting vapes or tobacco
1-800-QUIT-NOW	Call 1-800-784-8669	Connects you to your state's quitline

Teens are more likely to stick with a program they chose. Show your teen two or three and let them pick.

What the doctor can do

Screen and counsel. Ask for a visit about vaping, or bring it up at the yearly checkup. A doctor can tell how dependent your teen is and build a quit plan with them.
Talk about medicine. The FDA has approved over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum and lozenges for people 18 and older. For a teen, it's the doctor's call: the American Academy of Pediatrics says doctors can consider nicotine replacement for teens with moderate to severe dependence. Don't start your teen on it without the doctor.
Check for more. Ask the doctor to screen for anxiety, depression and other substance use too. The CDC notes some teens vape to cope with stress or anxiety, and that can make quitting harder.

What Medicaid, CHIP and insurance cover

Coverage	What to know
Texas Medicaid	Tobacco cessation counseling has been covered for ages 10 and up since May 1, 2019: up to 8 sessions a rolling year, more when medically necessary. Quit medicines on the Texas Medicaid drug list are covered with a prescription. Yearly Texas Health Steps checkups run through age 20.
CHIP	Call your CHIP health plan and ask what quit help and medicines it covers, and whether you need approval first.
Private insurance	Marketplace plans and most other plans must cover tobacco, alcohol and drug use assessments for adolescents with no copay, in network. Coverage for teen quit counseling and medicine varies, so call the number on the card.
No insurance	The quit programs above are free. Community health centers charge by income.

For more on plan types and who to call, see our guide to using insurance in Texas.

How to talk with your teen

The Surgeon General's and CDC's tip sheet for parents suggests:

Learn the facts first, so you can answer questions.
Be patient and ready to listen. Skip the criticism and invite a conversation, not a lecture. It may take several short talks.
Start from a natural moment, like passing someone vaping or seeing an ad, instead of a big sit-down.
Set an example. If you smoke or vape, quitting yourself is a strong message.
Bring in help. Ask the doctor or another adult your teen trusts to back you up.

Good questions: "What do you like about it?" "Have you tried to stop?" "What would make it easier?" If your teen wants to quit but can't, that's dependence, not a lack of willpower, and it's treatable.

When it's more than vaping

Look for a substance use assessment, not just a quit program, if:

Your teen vapes THC often, uses more than they meant to, or has tried to stop and couldn't (two signs of cannabis use disorder the CDC names).
You see other drugs or alcohol, or several of the warning signs SAMHSA lists: falling grades, new friends, mood changes, a "nothing matters" attitude.
Your teen seems depressed or anxious, talks about hurting themselves, or you're worried about safety. Call or text 988.

Our guide to teen drug and alcohol treatment in Texas walks through the assessment, the levels of care, Medicaid and CHIP coverage and minor consent. To find a program, search Texas programs on Cima Find Care or browse the Texas directory, for example outpatient programs in San Antonio. Every listing shows when its license was checked (how listings work), and more plain-language guides are on our guides page.

Worried about more than drinking, drugs or vaping? Read when to get help for your teenager and how to find a teen counselor in Texas.

Questions parents ask

My son is vaping. What do I do first?

Stay calm and ask what he's vaping and why. Then pick a free quit program together (text DITCHVAPE to 88709, or My Life, My Quit for Texas teens 13 to 17), and book a visit with his doctor. If it's THC, or there are other warning signs, ask for a substance use assessment.

Is it illegal for a teen to vape in Texas?

Yes. It's illegal for anyone under 21 to have, buy or use an e-cigarette in Texas, and illegal to sell one to them. The Texas Comptroller says the fine is up to $100, and the court orders an e-cigarette and tobacco awareness program for a first offense.

Does Medicaid cover vaping treatment for teens?

Yes. Texas Medicaid covers tobacco cessation counseling, vaping included, for members 10 and older, up to 8 sessions a year and more when medically necessary, plus quit medicines on its drug list when a doctor prescribes them. If vaping is part of a wider substance use problem, Medicaid's substance use benefit covers treatment too. Not sure which program your teen is in? See STAR, CHIP and STAR+PLUS explained.

Can my teen use nicotine patches or gum?

Over-the-counter nicotine replacement is FDA-approved for people 18 and older. For a younger teen, only a doctor should decide. Some doctors prescribe it for teens with moderate to severe dependence.

Will my child be sent to alternative school for vaping?

For a first offense, a Texas school must place the student either in a disciplinary alternative education program or in in-school suspension for at least 10 school days. Selling or sharing a vape, or a second offense, means the alternative program.