Vaping was once discussed as possibly a safer alternative than smoking cigarettes or doing other tobacco products. Researchers have found out that this claim is false and vaping may have over 2,000 chemicals that are unheard of and could be harmful to all ages.

“It’s just water vapor” is a huge misconception that many people have. Aerosol mist is released when smoking e-cigarettes that include tiny particles of chemicals.  When discussing age groups who are most affected by vaping teens are usually always at the top of the list. 14.1% of middle and high school students have used e-cigarettes in the last 30 days according to the FDA. That’s approximately 2.14 million people who vape in high school. “Teen vape” has become a new norm in society. The culture around teen vape makes it extremely difficult to stop vaping because they are so prevalent in school, parties and other events it’s as easy as asking someone for a hit.

Vapes were created originally as a so-called safer alternative rather than smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products. We know now that these chemicals found in vapes are just as harmful and can cause life threatening disease later in life. A question that many ask is if the product was used to help cigarette smokers then why are teens getting addicted? A simple answer would be that the teenage brain is still developing.

Not only is it easier for teens to be addicted because of development but the different sweet appealing flavors and advertisements hook them to start vaping. Being created in 2003 vapes are still relatively new and this generation of vape users are being used as the first study for the new addictive tobacco product.

As a nation we still don’t know everything about vapes but inhaling anything into your lungs that involves battery powered flavored devices surely is not good for you. There needs to be a change in the future so teenagers can live a healthier and safer life without vapes. There is no telling where vapes could take this generation of teenagers and what effects it will have in say 30 to 40 years. All around the nation vaping has taken over teens’ lives and there needs to be change.