Vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes. MYTH.
Vaping has very adverse health effects that can be life-threatening. Vaping was popularized in the 2010s, and has since become a seemingly common sight in today’s society. Because it is relatively new, not much is known about its long-term effects, but scientists know that its short-term effects can be severe. One of these effects is popcorn lung, a disease caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs. As of now, this disease has no cure and it causes irreversible lung damage. As for the long-term effects, none have been discovered yet but we can predict they are menacing.
Vaping is marketed toward children and teens. FACT.
We can see that as vaping technologies improve, they are being marketed toward younger audiences. Fruity flavors attract youth to the nicotine-producing devices and vapes disguised as highlighters allow teens to bring them to school. The industry leaders purposely target the young and the naive to continue growing their consumer base. And it’s working: while vapes legally cannot be sold to people under the age of 18, the proportion of high school seniors who have vaped jumped from 28% in 2017 to 37% in 2018 (according to NIH.gov). More and more teenagers start vaping every day, leading to lifelong nicotine addictions and negative health impacts.
Vaping is uncommon in schools and amongst teens. MYTH.
In my personal experience as a high school senior, vaping is a severe issue in schools and amongst high school students. It is a common occurrence at my high school, and teenagers need to be educated on the harmful impacts vaping has.