Ever since I was young, I always got the impression that cigarettes are detrimental to your health, that you should avoid it at all costs. In elementary school health class, all I remember are teachers constantly lecturing us about all the horrendous side effects of smoking cigarettes. The disgusting image of a smoker’s darkened lungs ingrained in my mind forever. As more and more research went into cigarette smoking, the more society was wary of this substance. As a result, growing up, there were not many instances where I saw cigarettes in the media, due to the heavy restrictions on tobacco advertising. E-Cigarettes, more commonly known as vapes, are seen on every social media platform imaginable. As electronic cigarette products are still relatively new, many are unaware of the possible long term effects of vaping. Electronic cigarettes have been rapidly gaining popularity, especially amongst first time youth smokers.
E-Cigarettes are oftentimes used as a healthier alternative for avid smokers to gradually quit smoking cigarettes. They share quite a bit of resemblance to the traditional cigarettes. E-Cigarettes consist of a battery, a heating element, and storage for the vaping liquid. They also come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, such as resembling cigarettes, USB sticks, or pens. This makes vaping discreet and easily hidden. The heating component of the device, in addition to the vaping liquid, creates aerosol. The user inhales the nicotine and carcinogen containing aerosol, which enters into the body’s respiratory system. Nicotine is highly addictive which alters the reward pathways in the brain, making it extremely difficult to quit consuming tobacco products. The use of vapes can be beneficial towards long time cigarette smokers, as the chemicals inside of cigarettes are much more toxic and harmful to the human body, more prone to lung related diseases and ailments.
As E-Cigarette products are still relatively new, there is no definitive research on the long term effects of vaping. Although, the health effects of vapes are not as harmful as traditional cigarettes. It is still very important to be cautious about vaping. On the news, we often hear about teens and young adults being rushed to the hospital due to excessive use of electronic vaping products. Many of these news articles create attention grabbing headlines, instead of reporting the true causes of lung damage via vaping. News sources generalize these conditions as a result of overall vaping, however, studies have shown that the lung injury caused by THC cartridges sold from the black market in the United States. These cartridges contain a chemical known as vitamin E acetate. It is crucial to understand and pinpoint the reason that vaping causes sudden lung damage. Avid smokers need to purchase their cartridges and vapes from trusted sources, such as vape shops, to avoid ingesting vitamin E acetate. In Canada, there are only a handful of cases of lung illness from vaping, which makes it hard to determine the direct causes of lung damage. From a surface level perspective, vaping might not seem as dangerous than other addictive substances. However, there is a great variety of different vaping products, like nicotine-containing liquids, THC cartridges, and nicotine-free flavoured liquids. Each type of vaping liquid will have different health effects on the body. So it is difficult to come up with a definitive answer of the true dangers of vaping.
Due to the fact that vapes often come in sweet and fruity flavours, to an extent, these flavours cater towards a younger demographic. Flavours such as mango, vanilla, watermelon, and cotton candy would be more popular amongst teens and young adults than those who are evidently older trying to quit cigarettes. As the government saw how quickly the E-Cigarette market has risen over the past few years and the surplus of young people buying these products, they implemented new laws to deter youth from consuming these products. They decided to ban all reusable vapes that contain flavours that are not methanol or tobacco. What the government did not realize was that there was a loophole with certain brands of disposable vaping products. Brands such as Puff Bars are still able to sell their products with the various fruity flavours as they market disposable vaping products. Those who are teenage avid vapers will still be able to find ways to purchase flavoured vaping products, which makes this ban to be ineffective to an extent. Overall, it is a good thing that the government recognizes the exposure of dangerous vaping products towards children and wishing to make changes in the legislature. However, there still needs to be a lot more research into the effects of vaping and more regulations.
Since vaping can be easily found everywhere on the internet and also in schools, teenagers are quite prone to the sense of peer pressure to also vape as well. Personally, I have experienced instances where I was offered a chance to vape but I never felt pressured by my peers for not vaping. Due to the overexposure of vaping in everyday life, I sometimes wonder if I had been missing out on certain experiences by not vaping. Since vaping is viewed as something that is considered to be cool, you can’t help but subconsciously want to do it too and fit in. However, for my health I choose to not vape as I understand there could be so many health effects with continuous vaping. As peer pressure is quite common amongst teenagers, especially in a school setting, here are some ways to combat peer pressure:
1. Keep Good Company
In any circumstance, it is always super important to have close friends who share the same morals and interests as you. This way, if you are ever in a situation where you don’t feel comfortable doing something, your friends will always be there helping you to make the right decisions. They become your voice of reason whenever you feel tempted to take certain actions. The company you keep also influences the degree of exposure to dangerous and harmful activities. Those who are more well informed and recognize the cons of any activity will be less likely to engage in those said activities.
2. Make up an Excuse
Oftentimes, many people find it extremely challenging to outright use the word ‘no’. Instead, try a more passive approach and make up an excuse. When people hear a reason, they are less likely to continue to peer pressure. An excuse can range from saying something like ‘you’ll get into a lot of trouble with your parents’ to an excuse for you to leave as fast as you can. Sometimes when excuses are made over and over again, it is probably just better to refuse and explain that you simply don’t feel comfortable engaging in this type of activity. It is always better to be telling the truth.
3. Talk About How You Feel
Those who are the victims of peer pressure often feel like they would be disliked if they refuse to participate, however majority of the time, those who are the ones peer pressuring have no idea. By expressing your feelings those who peer pressure will more likely be empathetic and change their attitude, overall diffusing the situation. It requires a lot of courage to share your feelings, being open and vulnerable. Even something as simple as saying that you don’t feel comfortable engaging in the activity can help escalate cases of peer pressure.
4. Be Informed
In today’s day and age, there are so many resources available to research topics such as vaping, drugs, alcohol, etc. There is really no excuse for not being aware of the dangers of these substances. The more informed you are about a certain topic, the more likely you are to make an informed decision. As you recognize the health dangers of vaping, the more solidified your resolve is to never vape. As so, it is important to find trustworthy sources of information and learn as much as you can about vaping and other substances.
5. Talk to a Trusted Adult
Many people have been in situations where they experienced some sort of peer pressure, whether at school, work, or simply out in the community. Talking to a trusted adult about what you are going through can be very beneficial. Adults have a lot of experience and expertise and can advise you to make the best possible decision in each case. During this talk, make sure to go over scenarios that you might encounter on a daily basis and talk over what you would do in each situation. Being prepared to face peer pressure will allow you to feel more confident and outright refuse participating in harmful activities.
Choosing whether or not to vape can be a very difficult decision. There are a variety of things that should be considered before beginning to vape. As we still don’t understand the full health effects of vaping, we should be extremely cautious and wary of prolonged vaping. Even if you do decide to recreationally vape, there are still a variety of things to consider in order to maximize your safety. Vitamin E acetate is extremely harmful to the respiratory system and it is found in THC cartridges bought from the black market. So, be informed as to where you are getting your products from and purchase from trustworthy sources. It is also super important to research before doing anything to alter your lifestyle. There are all of these websites to help and get full understanding of the potential dangers of vaping. In the wide scope of things, vapes still have their benefits. As vapes can be seen as a good alternative for those who would smoke cigarettes. Finally, peer pressure is still a prevalent issue regarding vaping, which is why you should familiarize strategies used to combat peer pressure. As teens, we have such a full life ahead of us with things that we cannot even begin to fathom in the future. You only get one body and one set of lungs. What you decide to do with your body is completely up to you.
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