Under the Cloud of Suspicion: Current Generation Becomes Experiment for Vaping

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There is no question about people vaping in the 21st century. It is a newer technology that we don’t know the long term effects of, but seeing the 8 people that have passed away from vaping related diseases causes the government and the general population to open their eyes. Studies show that 9.3% of people who vape have never even smoked a cigarette before and some people may not realize that vapes can contain chemicals that are delivered to your lungs and cause things such as lung disease or cancer.

A lot of vaping companies are making their products with fruity or sweet flavors that seem to be targeted towards children and teenagers, not people who need help to stop smoking cigarettes. The amount of kids from 6th grade to 12th grade that use an electronic cigarette has doubled since 2012, which is a bewildering amount considering they were not previously smokers. This has caused a lot of controversy and the US government is getting involved. Trump has been working on banning all flavored e-cigarettes, forcing all companies to remove their products from the shelves.

Experts from the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in St. Louis have been urging teens to think seriously before deciding to vape because of its addictive properties. They point out that the sooner people quit the better off they will be.  In her recent article entitled “E-Cigarette Dangers” by Dr. Jennifer Lowry, MD, states, “daily nicotine exposures may be higher with e-cigarettes than smokers anticipate.” Experts recommend those trying to quit should start off with getting rid of all vape supplies and try to have a positive mental attitude. Each time the urge comes along, give yourself a drink of water or count to 10 and distract yourself. Try to do more things you enjoy like writing, drawing, or playing a sport.

While e-cigarettes may have less tar going into the lungs, vaping includes multiple chemicals and unknown agents. Experts and doctors urge users to remember that e-cigarettes are not better or healthier than cigarettes; they are just as dangerous and lead to long term effects that we do not clearly know about yet. For information on vaping cessation, visit https://www.lung.org/stop-smoking/helping-teens-quit/not-on-tobacco.html