Tales that tells the ugly truth about vaping

Educating children about the dangers of e-cigarettes is not a piece of cake. While many parents and teachers manage to talk to kids about them, Ruangsak Pinprateep, fondly known as Pi Toob Pong, who has been working with children for years, uses storybooks as an effective teaching tool.

“With quality text and illustrations, storybooks can make a complex topic like the risks of vaping easier to grasp. By connecting to book characters, kids can learn how to relate to others. They can better understand what other people are thinking and feeling. They can learn the dark sides of vaping and how it affects not only them personally but others as well. Also, settings can make them feel real,” he said.

Ruangsak, who is managing director of the Books for Children Foundation, has worked closely with the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) and the Family Network Foundation to create a series of storybooks on the concept “say no to e-cigarettes to protect your child”.

It’s designed as a tool for parents, caregivers and teachers for educating children about the adverse effects of vaping.

Written by Ruangsak, the series is spread over three books: ‘It smells good but you must be careful’ (hom jung tae rahwong na)’; ‘Dolls are so spooky’ (tukkata naklua jung); and ‘Don’t you love your kid?’ (mai ruk look rooe).

The family is the theme and the books are well-suited to kindergarten and primary school learners.

They have three main settings: at home, at the market and in the local community, all places where children encounter people who are smoking and vaping.

The books are written in simple and easy-to-understand language, making them accessible to young learners.

They are uniquely arranged in Thai verse, a writing style which has made Ruangsak famous in the sphere of children’s books.

Over the past decades, he has written more than 300 storybooks for kids, almost all of which have been selected as good books for children by leading child-related organizations.

“Kids like witty words and rhyming. Parents can just speak clearly and slowly when reading the books to them. Let the words of the poem do the work,” he recommended.

Ruangsak is now on tour running training sessions on reading the storybook for kids to parents, caregivers, teachers and interested persons in Lampang, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Pathom, Songkhla, Nonthaburi and Bangkok.

He teaches them how to use the books and how best to read the verse to keep young learners entertained, engaged and happy.

Making it tangible

When teaching kids something new, Ruangsak said, he begins with a concrete concept and then moves to abstract. This technique can help support their understanding of what they can see, feel, observe or interact with.

“Kids are never good at listening to you, but they tend to learn by observing the behaviour of adults around them, especially their parents. We have to make ideas more tangible – to make them see and feel – than simply talking to them. That makes them understand better,” he said.

He noted that his books are mainly targeted at parents, caregivers and teachers, as they are the first role models for kids and responsible for reading the books to them and teaching them about important values and how to make healthy and wise decisions about life.

“You teach kids to be polite and talk nicely to others. But you keep yelling and scolding. So, be true to yourselves, break bad habits, say no to smoking and vaping and lead by example,” Ruangsak said.

Educational yet fun

Ruangsak said he intended to write the books in Thai verse, as this makes them pleasant to the ear and enhances the reading and listening experience.

“The rhythmic pattern in the poetry makes reading fun and easy on the ears when you recite it out loud. That keeps kids entertained and engaged, so they can learn better,” he said, adding that kids have large reserves of acceptance when they are given information in a creative way.

He recommended parents, caregivers and teachers who use these storybooks to first read them carefully and thoroughly before using them and to practise reading them out loud.

“Don’t read in a hurry. Spend quality time together reading the books. It makes kids happy and mentally healthy,” Ruangsak said.

When kids ask questions about terms from the books, he suggested simplifying the language to make sure that they understand the words you are using.

“For example, they might ask you what nicotine is. You would explain that it’s a substance in cigarettes and vapes. It’s not good for your health. Just keep it short and precise. Over-explaining can just confuse them,” he said.

He also advised the readers to keep talking and ask children questions during learning activities, which can help ensure that they understand the books, while also strengthening family bonds and teacher-student relationships.

“Ask them to name the books’ characters. Do they enjoy reading or listening to the books? Is vaping good for them? If you smell the vape smoke, would you inhale it or just walk away? Or you can ask a funny question by letting them imagine how a character would look if he or she wears glasses. That can help them connect with the characters and the story more deeply,” he said.

Ruangsak noted that he always pays great attention to the visual context as this impacts children’s learning and development. Quality illustrations can improve comprehension, providing them with an understanding of settings, characters and the tone of the story while fostering emotional connections.

“Illustrations are more than just pretty pictures in children’s books. They often draw kids into the story. Kids can also see how characters express their feelings through the visual context,” he said, adding that the readers often look at text while reading while kids learn from pictures they see.

Boosting immunity to vaping

Wichet Pichairat, a member of the ThaiHealth board, noted that the foundation believes that educating kids about the dangers of e-cigarettes can help fix the problems of vaping in young people as they are still in the care of their parents, caregivers and teachers.

“Most teens spend more time with friends than family. Friends play a big role in their decisions to vape,” he said, urging parents, caregivers and teachers to educate themselves about vaping facts and the health risks and then share them with children.

“Storytelling can be a perfect teaching and learning tool for young learners,” he said.

Wichet also called for the creation of a healthy environment, which can help support children’s quality learning and healthy growth and development, saying local nurseries, temples, schools and even stores also play a part in solutions.

“Nannies, for example, can pass correct information about vaping to kids. Temples can add information about the risks of vaping in religious activities. Primary schools can create interactive educational programmes on vaping risks for students. Local stores will never sell vapes to children and teens,” he said.

Dr. Panpimol Wipulakorn, president of the Family Network Foundation, noted that children are aware that family members and members of the community in which they live are vaping.

Many who try free e-cigarettes do not know that they are harmful as some of the newer vapes are designed to look like toys, dolls and other children’s items, with many of them also giving off a pleasant smell to lure them.

“We aim to use these storybooks to build an understanding of the dangers of e-cigarettes among kids since they see and observe vaping from an early age. We hope this will discourage them from trying it out. We also hope that the books will make the family more aware of the risks of vaping and the impacts on their child,” she said.

Vaping is illegal in Thailand. Anyone who sells e-cigarettes and related equipment could face a jail term and a fine, or both. Importers and buyers can also be jailed and fined.