There are so many vices nowadays that one can easily get lost trying to remember them all. From drinking to smoking, they have all leveled up and are far more classy and techy over the years. Teens and the youth these days have different preoccupations than what kids did 10 to 20 years ago. Well, they have technology to thank for that.
For instance, when you say smoking, you not always pertain to smoking cigarettes or a good old cigar. E-cigarettes like vapes are now trendy and with the numerous juice flavors to choose from, it can take your smoking experience to the next level. It also looks awesome to blow circles and show off your vaping skills to your friends to make you look cool but smoking vape has its health implications.
You’ve seen them on television, in celebrity photos and in magazine ads — cool superstars vaping on electronic cigarettes. Their high-tech gadgets seem to be available everywhere, from shopping malls to the 24-hour convenience mart. Is it any wonder that teens are being tempted to try out the vaping craze?
Yet scientists are disturbed by the fascination teens have with this nicotine-dispensing alternative to smoking. And with good reason. Data from a growing number of studies indicate that electronic cigarettes are not harmless.
Chemicals in e-cigarettes can damage lung tissue, provoking inflammation. That damage can reduce the ability of the lungs to keep out germs and other harmful substances, new studies show.
Yet teens seem largely unaware of — or unconcerned by — the emerging data on these risks. Their use of e-cigarettes has now surpassed that of conventional cigarettes. In the past year alone, e-cigarette use by U.S. middle-school and high-school teens has tripled. That’s the finding of a new government survey released last month.
While some claim that smoking vape isn’t as dangerous or addictive as regular cigarettes, it appears that the majority are mistaken and it can be just as bad as good old smoking a pack of cigarettes daily. How safe it is to use remains to be a hot topic during debates and arguments.
For the past five years or so, though, a growing number have turned to an alternate – and apparently safer – form of smoking: the electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette.
It is an electronic device that vaporizes a fluid, usually flavored and often containing nicotine. E-cigarettes come in various types, some called vaporizers, some looking like a traditional cigarette. They serve the same purpose as smoking; users call it vaping.
The safety of e-cigarettes is a debatable issue. Proponents tout them as being free of tar and other chemicals that make true cigarettes dangerous. Medical professionals have no proof they are harmful. Public Health England determined in August 2015 that e-cigarettes were much safer and advised smokers to start vaping.
Although not all e-cigarettes include nicotine, opponents say it is an addictive drug and caution the long-term effects of this alternative product will not be known for a while. University of California researchers reported in December 2015 that they found vapor “damages DNA in ways that could lead to cancer.”
E-cigarettes appear to be popular among young people, who may be at risk, according to the surgeon general’s 2016 report. It said in part: “E-cigarette use among U.S. youth and young adults is now a major public health concern.
While many are becoming more aware of the dangers of vaping, e-cigarette companies have now found a new ally in the person of President Trump.
That’s poised to change under President Trump. His campaign platform of slashing burdensome regulations and cultivating a friendlier business climate presents a major opportunity for vaping enthusiasts. While Trump hasn’t mentioned the FDA’s regulations specifically in any of his speeches, that isn’t stopping e-cig crusaders from making sure America has its first cloud-chasing president.
Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist is best known for his Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which challenges members of Congress to promise not to raise income or business taxes during their time in office. He’s now taken on the role of a vaping folk hero.
Norquist is in early talks with Trump administration officials to make sure the FDA’s rules are delayed at least two years so Congress has time to pass bills nullifying the Obama-era regulations. Trump’s nomination of Georgia Congressman Tom Price as Secretary of Health and Human Services was an early sign that the vaping community has an ally in the White House and might finally find some relief after years of continued assault.
Vaping is still bad no matter what your perspective is. Even though it is receiving support from the administration does not mean it is any better. The smoker’s health will still be compromised if they keep on puffing these fancy e-cigarettes.
The way President Trump is acting right now, it is confusing to determine whether he still sees himself as a businessman or the leader of this great nation. The policies he is pushing for in congress aren’t always for the best interest of the majority of the people of the land. And the sad part here is that most of the people who will be affected negatively by his administration’s policies are the very people who put him into power.