A new phenomenon seen throughout the United States is the rapid increase of electronic cigarette usage, specifically by minors. Initially marketed as an alternative to smoking for those who wished to quit, JUUL and other vape products have seen a sharp increase in popularity as more and more minors are drawn to their appeal. With flavors such as mint, mango, cotton candy, honey, and others, it is clear to see why minors are drawn to such a new fad. CNBC reports, “San Francisco-based Juul Labs has rapidly overtaken the U.S. e-cigarette market. Sales have skyrocketed nearly 800 percent … Juul’s rise has attracted venture funds, and given it a stunning $15 billion valuation” (1) Furthermore, the increase of minors using vape and JUUL products has forced federal agencies, such as the FDA, to look into marketing tactics used by these companies. “The agency also demanded that Juul Labs turn over company documents about the marketing and research behind its products, including reports on focus groups and toxicology, to determine whether Juul is intentionally appealing to the youth market despite its statements to the contrary and despite knowing its addictive potential” (2).
So, what should be our response to such a public health crisis? I will lay out an argument against minors consuming and using JUUL and vapor products that are proven to have severely negative health risks. Furthermore, I will analyze the original purpose of these products and why nicotine is no joke.
First, this article is specifically aimed at those who use vape products as minors, and those who use them as a result of the recent fad that has arisen in the past two years. While it is fine to pursue hobbies that are socially accepted and normal, the inhalation of nicotine should not be one of the things to become socially acceptable and normalized (especially within a population of minors). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “American youth are now more likely to use e-cigarettes than any other form of tobacco. In 2016, more than two million middle- and high-school students used e-cigarettes each month” (3).
Vape products should be used for their initial purpose: to help those addicted to cigarettes leave their addiction. While vapor products are objectively better for your health than cigarettes, if you don’t smoke, you shouldn’t start vaping. This is not my personal advice; this is the advice from millions of public-health officials. “Common sense would tell you [that vaping] leads to inflammation within the lung,” says Dr. Cedric “Jamie” Rutland, a pulmonary and critical care physician and assistant clinical professor at [the] University of California at Riverside School of Medicine. This reaction can happen “even if you’re smoking just pure water vapor with no nicotine” (4), says Dr. Pushan Jani, a pulmonologist at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and UTHealth.
In my honest opinion, in the same way that lighters are specifically designed to deter minors and young children from operating them, vapor products should also have design features that make them difficult to operate without relatively smooth motor skills that are attributed to adulthood.
I believe this is a public health crisis that the government must step in and solve. These vapor products are a risk to not only those who smoke but also those around them. That is why I am calling upon the administration of the University of Massachusetts Boston to enforce the no smoking or vaping policies that are in place. Vaping has no place at UMass Boston. This childish fad is disturbing to the minds of those who see its popularity. Furthermore, I hope that the government pursues those who sell vape products to minors, and that they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
(1) https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/11/how-juul-became-a-15-billion-vaping-giant.html
(2) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/24/health/fda-e-cigarettes-minors-juul.html
(3) https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/better-cigarettes-vaping-comes-its-own-set-health-risks-ncna819716
(4) https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/better-cigarettes-vaping-comes-its-own-set-health-risks-ncna819716