Vaping has taken the world by storm, gripping almost every corner of the world. In 7 years the number of people that vape in America has gone from 7 million to 41 million. The number expects to be 55 million by 2021. One in eight of these people is a teenager. The question is: why do so many teenagers vape?

Why Do People Vape?

You can buy JUUL cigarettes online, though JUUL is starting to take countermeasures to prevent teen vaping. You are only permitted to access the site if you are over 18 years old, and if you are under 18, you get taken to a site about getting help with addiction. While this seems like a good effort on the service if you dig a little deeper you will find that JUUL’s are advertised to children. According to the counselor, Ms. Shipley “They are marketing to young people, especially with the flavors and making them seem very cool.” They use things like different flavors and an easy to hide cigarette.

“They are marketing to young people, especially with the flavors and making it seem very cool.”

- Karin Shipley, Middle School Guidance Counselor

Teenagers are also very prone to trying new and interesting things. According to Ms. Shipley, “During adolescence and during this time it’s a time for risk-taking, exploring and experimentation and that’s a normal part of what’s happening now. We want kids to be doing a little bit of that. So that’s kind of how it starts is there’s this new tool called e-cigarettes and there’s the JUUL and it’s accessible and they want to try it out.” According to Ms. Shipley, teenagers are more likely to smoke or vape if they have a parent or relative that does so. This is because they are being raised to see smoking as a normal thing and see nothing wrong with doing it themselves.

Health Effects

Now let’s get into the health aspects of vaping. Many people consider vaping to be healthier than smoking because vape pens do not contain tobacco. While this is true, vape pens still contain nicotine, which is an addictive and dangerous chemical. As stated by The American Heart Association, It can cause high blood pressure and heart attacks. Also, the flavoring in e-cigarettes contains Diacetyl, a chemical that causes lung cancer, and other cancer-causing chemicals. According to Kids Health, vape pens are healthier than cigarettes, but that doesn’t mean that they are in any way safe for the body. But the most dangerous part of e-cigarettes is how little we know about them. While we know almost all the health effects of cigarettes, vape pens are unknown territory. Scientists and doctors still can’t tell how much damage you would be doing to your body.

ZIS Policy

ZIS has a very strict policy when it comes to vaping. If you do vape, you cannot do so on school grounds. According to Mr. Wood and the middle school handbook, “The possession or use of tobacco, alcohol, any controlled substance, or medication not prescribed by a medical doctor is strictly forbidden at school or any school-sponsored event, including tournaments and field trips. The possession and/or use of e-cigarettes or any vaporizer cigarettes is also prohibited at school, and any school field trip or event. ”

There are many reasons why children vape, from curiosity to exposure to it, and they are unique for each person. While they are “healthier” than cigarettes, it’s important to remember that there are still many unknown things about vaping and it is very dangerous.