The Dangers of Vaping

According to CNBC, 33 people have died from vaping illness as of October 17, 2019. In addition, many are falling victim to illnesses resulting from vaping, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs and prevents the oxygen people’s bodies need to function from circulating in the bloodstream.

A Utah man was one of those who has suffered from this illness. Alexander Mitchell experienced an extreme decline in health over the span of a few days. Mitchell was healthy, but after just days, the only thing keeping him alive were machines. He recovered from his previous condition, but doctors do not know if he will ever recover entirely. This was a result of vaping.

This new information is challenging the beliefs of many consumers who view vape products as harmless.

Vape products contain a mixture of water, food-grade flavoring, choice nicotine levels, and propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). Additionally, THC, which is present in marijuana, exists in variations of vaping products. Additionally, “bootleg” (made, distributed, and/or sold illegally) products contain dangerous and unknown chemicals.

Data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shows that 25% of high school seniors have used e-cigarettes in September of 2019. Additionally, the data shows that 20% of high school sophomores vaped in the past month. And this is just recorded data. High school students are finding ways to vape in schools daily. School administrators recognize this problem and are concerned about students’ health and safety.

Mr. Bridgham, a dean of students at Chariho High School, believes that the teenage vaping problem is prevalent in our school community today.

“It’s mind-numbing how many kids that I would consider to be not gullible fell into this trap,” Bridgham said. “Once they get you with that chemical addiction, you’re done.”

Bridgham spoke of vape prevention, suggesting that, “Peers would play an extremely big role.” While it may be easy to tune out teachers and other adults as they preach the dangers of vaping, it may be more effective to hear a friend or significant other to tell you that vaping is dangerous and that you should not be partaking in the act.

Bridgham also mentioned that being a witness, standing by and watching your friends make troublesome decisions, enables them to do the wrong thing. Confrontation is a key part of vaping prevention of those you love.

The consequences of vaping in school should be another key for the sake of prevention. It is illegal to use these products on the school campus. Vaping falls under the “Substance Abuse” category of the student handbook with tobacco products. The first offense is two Extended School days (E.S.D.) until 5:15. If the student is a minor, his home is called. The second and subsequent violations involve 1-3 In-School Suspensions (I.S.S.), 5-10 hours of community service, and referral to a student assistance counselor.

“Too much is at stake nowadays with this stuff,” Bridgham lamented, “If a kid wants to make a decision to engage in this sort of stuff… they should be able to have that discussion with their parents.”

Bridgham doesn’t only blame students/teenagers for the vaping issue. He emphasized his opinions of vaping companies, such as Juul.

“I think it’s criminal,” he began, “I’ve made it clear my thoughts on these companies that are basically making money off this addictive substance, and that’s just assuming, if we’re talking about the Juul pods, that’s the only stuff that’s in there.”

Not everything is known about what teenagers are ingesting through vaping. There are many opinions and statistics that comment on the vaping crisis, but what is most important is the fact that there is still more research to be done. Cigarettes, in the early 1900s, were “physician approved.” Back then,the dangers of cigarettes were unknown. That was, until research revealed the fatal consequences. Today, the scientific consequences of vaping are also unknown. It wasn’t until recently that vaping has resulted in death. There is still more research to be done, including research that could reveal the causes of the serious fatal consequences of vaping.

Additionally, when cigarettes began to raise health concerns in the 1930s, cigarette companies made sure they didn’t lose their customers with marketing. Targeted marketing is still used today, vape companies targeting teenagers as their ideal consumers. These companies are less concerned with the personal well-being of their customers and are more concerned about revenue. Companies will use any unscrupulous methods they can to entice consumers to buy their product.

As Mr. Bridgham gravely remarked, “Once they got you, they got you.”