Over the past few years, vaping has become a phenomenon among teenagers. When the trend started, it seemed there was no way to avoid it. Everywhere I looked, almost everyone of almost every age had a vape in their mouth. Vaping was normalized and seen as harmless and fun. So fun that people would even give their vapes entertaining names, like JUULius Caesar or Juno Mars.
When vaping started becoming popular about four years ago, I did not think much of it. I thought it was a fad and like everything else, it would disappear with time. Man, was I wrong. Instead of going away, it seems vaping has become more popular and is increasingly reaching younger demographics.
Seeing people vape in high school did not bother me much because I believed there was no harm involved, and that it was nothing like smoking a cigarette. The more I research about vaping, the more I realize that statement could not be further from the truth. My senior year of high school, a local doctor gave a powerful presentation on the dangers of vaping. I was shocked. This is when I started to really form an opinion on vaping.
Many e-cigarettes contain nicotine and other harmful substances. Teenagers who use these products are more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Quitting it is very hard for young people, since nicotine is so addictive.
Once the younger generation is trapped into using vaping products, more is needed to continue the high. Afraid of being reprimanded, teens will not tell their parents, but instead continue to buy products from the black market for a cheaper price, often containing more dangerous substances.
To continue appealing to youth, companies that produce vape products made flavored pods, making it even easier to fall into addiction. President Donald Trump recently banned the sale of the pods, making it harder for teenagers to get this type of product.
I am well aware that vaping is a better alternative for lifelong smokers. However, that is not what people my age use it for.
I am a firm believer in limited government, so I would not be in favor of raising the age for purchasing vaping products to 21. If people can serve in the military at age 18, they should be able to smoke or vape. However, people should think carefully about this harmful decision.
Many students probably disagree with my stance on vaping. I just ask those people to think about what happens to your body when you smoke or vape. Although that “high” one gets while vaping feels great in the moment, think about the long-term consequences the products can have.
Elizabeth Crochet is an 18-year-old political communication freshman from New Orleans, Louisiana.