Is Vaping Really That Bad?
It is clear that vaping has become popular all over the nation, especially among teenagers. Vaping is the action of inhaling vapor, sometimes containing nicotine, through an e-cigarette. Vaping has caused many teens to be admitted to the hospital and even to the extent of death. Locally, many concerned parents and teachers have been trying to figure out how to stop the vaping epidemic. Although there have been no lethal situations locally, due to vaping; the vaping epidemic is an issue needed to be solved. Specifically, in Arlington Texas, vaping is a well-known topic and I turned to two separate groups of individuals to get their views on vaping. Adults who have never put themselves in danger of bad health and teens who continuously vape are very different people and which is why I chose to get to know the views of these two kinds of individuals.
From this point, having concerns with the vaping industry is common throughout the population of Arlington. There are many different views about vaping and not all people believe vaping is a dangerous act. For instance, many local news channels are reporting that the new, “rash hospitalizations are not due to a specific product...but cautioning people, not to vape.” (Garcia 1). Moreover, vaping is said to be the cause but some sources think the health epidemic has not yet been solved. Due to the unknowns about e-cigarettes, many people are not sure how to feel about vaping. However, I interviewed my past sports coach who is very passionate and educated on health and is always doing the right thing. Jeff Holland is a smart man and I was very interested in getting to know his views on vaping. In the past, I have had encounters with vaping and Holland was the one to help me open my eyes to what I was doing to my body, so this particular interview was very interesting to me. To begin with, Holland was very excited I chose him and wanted to give me the best information he could. So, when asked about why he thinks teens started to vape, Holland didn’t waste a second on answering.
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He responded confidently, arguing, 'Teens always want to do what the cool kids are doing and it is as simple as peer pressure by your buddies.” (Holland).
With Holland coming to an understanding so quickly, it is clear that his view is set in stone and there's no changing it. Teens are quick to do what everyone else is doing without thinking about the consequences which are how we believe the vaping epidemic started in Arlington. During the interview, I also questioned Holland if he thinks all the recent hospitalizations in Dallas, due to vaping, are causing teens to quit vaping.
He immediately insisted that “Teens don’t realize what they are doing to their bodies and these deaths are doing nothing to help set them straight!” (Holland).
Holland’s views were clear to me after this question. He and many other people in Arlington agree that it is teens doing damage to themselves even though the manufacturers are not helping. After the interview, I respected Holland so much more due to the fact that he is aware that it’s the teenagers' fault that vaping is getting out of hand and no one else's. Vaping is a serious topic in Arlington due to the fact that most high schoolers are partaking in the action and do not care what they are doing to their bodies. (Garcia 3) So again, vaping is becoming an even bigger topic in Arlington due to the reckless teens and the unknowns of vaping and its risks.
Moreover, during the past few years, vaping has made its way around our town. Previously, almost everyone around Arlington was positive vaping was causing many health risks including addiction, mouth irritation, wheezing, chest pain, raised blood pressure, and even in some cases death. However, in recent times, it has come to the attention of many that vaping may not be the only contributor to recent health issues. It is less known, by adults, that THC pens contain harsh toxins and could be an even bigger hazard than e-cigarettes. Once I found out what the THC pens were doing to too many Arlington locals, I knew the next person I wanted to interview. This new finding has come apparent to many teens and is also causing teens to think vaping is still safe, which is why I chose one of my classmates to interview. Josh Logan is someone I’ve known for quite some time and who has also happened to pick up the action of vaping. Although he is a vaper, he is known to be one of the smartest in our class and makes thought-out decisions. However, Josh made the decision to start vaping and that is why I chose to interview him. Before the interview, I could tell he and I had different views of vaping for many different reasons. To start out, I first asked Josh if he thinks vaping is a healthier alternative to cigarettes. At first, he hesitated and began to think deeply.
“I used to think that vaping was healthier but now, I don’t really know if it's considered to be a better option.” (Logan), Josh questioned.
This answer by Josh proved my point that teens are confused about the vaping epidemic and also simply do not care if it is not healthier. It is said that when teens first picked up vaping, they thought it was no big deal and this is clear that they still think vaping is not a big deal. Whether vaping is a healthier alternative, or it is the cause of health risks, there are still many unknown risks. Later I asked Josh if he believed that manufacturers were targeting teens.
He quickly argued that “They for sure are. Why would any adult want to smoke something mango flavored? They’re the reason we are addicted to stuff like this!” (Logan)
Josh’s answer didn’t shock me until the very end. I definitely believe that the vape shops around Arlington are targeting teens because they knew that it was the way to get the most money. Teens are an easy target and will do anything their peers are no matter the consequences. However, when Josh said that the manufacturers are the reason so many teens are addicted to nicotine is not the truth. In my own opinion and in many others here in Arlington, teenagers did this to themselves and are living with the consequences of trying to be like cool kids. Although manufacturers play a part in this epidemic by targeting teens, they are not the main reason so many kids are vaping. Lastly, I talked with Josh about whether or not the government should be regulating vaping products. This is a very controversial topic in our town due to how people feel about how large this issue is and if the government has bigger issues to solve.
Josh almost spoke before I got the question out and pointed out that “The government for sure needs to get involved in the epidemic. Too many people are dying and it's not scaring any of us. If we didn’t have anything to buy, this wouldn’t be a problem.” (Logan)
Even though Josh is correct that the government needs to have more involvement in the epidemic, I don’t know how well this would help. Teens always find a way to get what they want and that is proven in many other cases. Unless vaping is wholly banned, teens will still have access to the product and continue to put themselves in harm's way.
In the end, vaping is a huge issue nationally and locally. Few people actually are educated about the topic which is why the case has lasted so long. Furthermore, teen vaping has greatly impacted our society and needs to be put to an end. With this being said, vaping is one of the most talked about issues locally and is overall an epidemic that needs to be stopped.
Works Cited
- Garcia. “Updated: Dallas Has 17 Hospitalizations Linked to Vaping, County Health Official Reports.” Dallas News, Dallas News, 18 Sept. 2019, www.dallasnews.com/news/2019/09/16/updated-Dallas-has-17-hospitalizations-linked-to-vaping-county-health-official-reports/.
- Holland, Jeff, and Ashley Mesch. “Your View on Vaping.” 2 Oct. 2019.
- Logan, Josh, and Ashley Mesch. “Vaping Effects.” 7 Oct. 2019.
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