The Vaping Epidemic of Our Generation
Let’s be honest, this youth’s generation have dug themselves a hole of our own demise. Today’s youth is allowing themselves to follow in the footsteps of those before them in our country’s nicotine crisis. Teenagers are allowing flavored electronic cigarettes to fall easily into their hands, which has lead to 22 hospitalizations linked to breathing problems. Even when they could see all the negative effects of smoking from the generations before them, like mouth cancer, throat cancer, lung cancer, and other lung-related diseases. What is it that draws in teenagers? What is tempting them to do something so damaging, and harmful to themselves?
Most cases that involve the vaping of illegal substances have included T.H.C., the mind-altering addictive compound found in marijuana, which could be a leading factor for teens' use. “Dab” pens, which have liquid marijuana extracts, are a huge cause of lung damage and respiratory failure in recent medical reports. They operate similarly to vape pens and e-cigarettes. Victims have been reported to have difficulty breathing, experienced extreme vomiting, and have chest pains. Some patients suffered from lung damage, which acquired them to be in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) up to weeks on end.
Officials are not certain which ingredients in electronic cigarettes are causing the current injuries. Doctors assume the vaping products were previously tampered with, before being purchased, or the patients used open tanked systems which allow them to mix liquids. Recent reports even say that most of the products were from illegal cartels, which convince officials that the products were indeed tampered with, and may have some harmful substances that are causing these events to unfold.
Most teenagers are not concerned though, due to how normalized vaping has become in the public eye. There should be a reason to fear them though, because the United States has officially linked two causes of death to vaping. The first death was reported in July of 2019, and the most recent report was this August. Besides the two deaths, there have been over 200 cases of lung disease caused by vaping. This had lead to Michigan being the first state in the United States to ban flavored electronic cigarette juice, so teenagers would be less likely to get ahold of nicotine products.
Now the United States is pushing for stricter smoking laws to protect the youth from the temptation to vape. The goal is to keep the youth away from the addiction of nicotine and to protect them from damaging their lungs. Will there be a prohibition of vapes in the near future? I am not sure, but I am for certain that the side effects of vaping are not worth it.
