# Review the adolescent's vaping history and determine the most appropriate prevention and cessation response.

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> url: https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=563774&lang=en  
> language: en  
> subject: High-Risk Behaviors  
> category: HPM

## Question

Review the adolescent's vaping history and determine the most appropriate prevention and cessation response.

| Time | Data |
| --- | --- |
| 6 months ago | Reports vaping flavored nicotine at parties twice a month and believes aerosol is only water vapor. |
| 3 months ago | Uses a vape most school days, needs more puffs for the same effect, and becomes irritable when the device is unavailable. |
| Today | Vapes within 30 minutes of waking, reports strong cravings and poor concentration, has tried unsuccessfully to stop twice, and screens positive for anxiety symptoms without suicidal thoughts. |

Q1. How should the nurse interpret the overall pattern?

Escalating nicotine dependence with functional and emotional effects
Harmless experimentation because no cigarettes are used
A normal adolescent behavior that requires no follow-up
Acute nicotine poisoning requiring resuscitation

Q2. Which response is most appropriate now?

Use criticism to make the adolescent promise immediate abstinence
Assess readiness, build a quit plan, and connect the adolescent with youth cessation and mental-health support
Wait until daily cigarette smoking begins
Disclose every detail to school officials without discussing confidentiality

Q3. Which teaching is accurate?

E-cigarette aerosol is harmless water vapor
Nicotine affects adults but not the adolescent brain
Most vapes contain addictive nicotine, and aerosol can contain harmful substances
Dual use of vapes and cigarettes protects the lungs

## Explanation

The timeline shows progression from social experimentation to nicotine dependence: daily use, early-morning craving, tolerance, irritability, concentration difficulty, and unsuccessful quit attempts. Nicotine can harm the developing adolescent brain, and vaping aerosol is not harmless. The nurse should use a nonjudgmental conversation, assess tobacco use and mental-health symptoms, determine readiness to quit, and connect the adolescent with developmentally appropriate cessation and behavioral-health resources. Punishment or a lecture can suppress disclosure and does not create an effective quit plan.

## In-depth explanation

Correct Answer
The pattern indicates escalating nicotine dependence with school and mental-health effects.

Why It Fits
Use progressed to daily morning vaping with craving, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, impaired concentration, and failed quit attempts.

Clinical Picture
Adolescents can develop nicotine addiction quickly, and nicotine exposure can affect attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.

Memory Link
Craving, tolerance, withdrawal, and failed quits show dependence even when the product is a vape.

NCLEX Rule
Screen privately and without judgment, assess coexisting mental-health needs, and link the adolescent to youth-specific quit support.

Why the Alternatives Fail
Waiting for cigarette use misses current harm; punishment and forced disclosure may reduce trust and engagement.

Sources
1CDC Health Effects of Vaping
2CDC Protecting Youth From the Harms of Vaping
3NCSBN 2026 NCLEX-RN Test Plan

## Clinical scenario

Adolescent clinic
A 16-year-old attends three visits over six months. The nurse speaks with the adolescent privately, explains confidentiality and its safety limits, and reviews tobacco and mental-health screening findings.

## Key concepts

- **Nicotine dependence** — A pattern of craving, tolerance, withdrawal, and difficulty stopping nicotine use.
- **Tolerance** — Needing greater exposure to obtain an effect previously achieved with less.
- **Withdrawal** — Temporary symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, poor concentration, sleep difficulty, and craving after nicotine reduction.

## Related questions

- [Review an adolescent's vaping-cessation follow-up timeline and determine which nursing res…](https://mymerci.kr/pages/nclex_q.php?qn_id=535418&lang=en)

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