Vaping is the popular term for smoking electronic cigarettes, which were designed to help people quit smoking. There have been 26 deaths in 21 states due to vaping and some form of health issue reported in 49 states. Alaska is the only remaining state that has no illness due to vaping.
E-cigarettes heat a liquid solution to a very high temperature that produces an aerosol. Teens are inhaling this aerosol in different flavors that normally contain nicotine, an extremely addictive stimulant found in tobacco products. Besides nicotine, flavorings can contain heavy metals and harmful chemicals linked to lung disease.
A vast majority of students have tried vaping. However, new findings and recent deaths have turned some students away. Impactful experiences have also contributed to students not continuing to use e-cigarettes.
“I don’t vape,” sophomore middle level education major Danielle Tyrell said. “I tried it at a party before. I have weak lungs and it hurt, so I don’t do it anymore.”
JUUL is an example of a well-known brand of vaping devices that can be found online, in stores and at many different gas station locations. The effects of the JUUL have hit young students hard, causing permanent health problems and serious addictions.
E-cigarettes are just as addictive and bad for an individual’s health as traditional cigarettes. One JUUL pod is the same as smoking one pack of cigarettes. One study has shown that vaping can cause problems in the lungs such as lung disease and damage to certain immune system cells the body needs to fight off viruses and illness. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an on-going investigation looking into any connections between illnesses and certain devices used to vape.
E-cigarettes are just as addictive and bad for an individual’s health as traditional cigarettes. One JUUL pod is the same as smoking one pack of cigarettes. One study has shown that vaping can cause problems in the lungs such as lung disease and damage to certain immune system cells the body needs to fight off viruses and illness. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an on-going investigation looking into any connections between illnesses and certain devices used to vape.
“I used to vape,” sophomore marketing major Alexa Steiner said. “I started getting a lot of anxiety about what it was doing to my body. Also, my friend went to the hospital, because she was unable to breathe and it really scared me.”
E-cigarettes contain a lot of nicotine, so vaping can harm a young student’s developing brain along with causing lung problems, and addiction is another significant risk factor. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 30.7 percent of teens will start smoking within six months of using e-cigarettes. Addiction affects an individual’s ability to focus, which can lead to poor performance in school.
“Yes I used to vape, but I don’t do it anymore,” sophomore exercise science major Danielle Miller said. “I tried vaping, because other people had their JUUL’s and I wanted to try it. I liked it but stopped, because it’s bad and a lot of people are dying.”
JUUL and other vaping devices have not intentionally targeted young students as their consumer audience. Their main focus was on older adults trying to quit their bad smoking habits, but students have made the mistake of using e-cigarettes as a dangerous pop culture trend.
