OPINION | MARIAN EVANS: Vaping dangers clear


The rise of vaping in recent years has been alarming, particularly among young people. Vaping, or using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), has been touted by some as a safer alternative to traditional smoking, but the truth is that it is far from harmless.

In fact, the dangers of vaping are becoming increasingly clear as more and more studies are conducted.

One of the most concerning aspects of the rise of vaping is the way in which it is being marketed to young people.

Flavored e-cigarettes, particularly those with menthol flavoring, are often used to attract youth to vaping. This is a deeply concerning trend that needs to be addressed if we want to protect our children from vaping's harmful effects.

It's not just young children at risk from the ill effects of e-cigarettes, as pregnant women and their unborn babies can be negatively affected by the mother's vaping habit.

According to a recent article in the New York Post, an expectant mother from Little Rock admits on TikTok to being addicted to e-cigarettes, and not only vaping during her first pregnancy but during her current second pregnancy as well.

The perception that vaping e-cigarettes is a much safer alternative to smoking traditional, tobacco burning cigarettes is deceiving and is backed up by research data from various sources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that nicotine and the flavorings from e-cigarettes can negatively affect pregnant women and their developing babies by damaging the baby's brain and lungs.

The use of menthol flavoring in e-cigarettes is especially troubling because it has long been used to make traditional cigarettes more appealing to young people. Menthol cigarettes have been found to be more addictive than non-menthol cigarettes, and they are also more appealing to young people who are just starting to experiment with smoking. This is why the use of menthol flavoring in e-cigarettes is so concerning: it is essentially just another way to market a dangerous product to young people.

The dangers of vaping are not just theoretical; they are very real and are impacting communities across the country.

In Arkansas, for example, the use of e-cigarettes has been on the rise among young people in recent years.

The rise of vaping in Arkansas has not gone unnoticed by public health officials. According to a report from the Arkansas Department of Health, the percentage of high school students in the state who reported using e-cigarettes significantly increased from 16.7% in 2017 to 23.1% in 2019.

In 2019, the state became the first in the country to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. This was an important step in the right direction, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of the problem.

One of the reasons why e-cigarettes are so appealing to young people is that they are often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional smoking. This is a myth that needs to be dispelled if we want to protect our children from the dangers of vaping. E-cigarettes may not contain the same harmful chemicals as traditional cigarettes, but they still contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can have serious health consequences.

Another reason why e-cigarettes are so appealing to young people is that they are often marketed as a way to rebel against authority. The use of e-cigarettes has become a kind of social signaling among young people to show they are cool or edgy.

This is a deeply troubling trend that needs to be addressed if we want to protect our children from the dangers of vaping.

So what can be done to address the problem of vaping among young people? There are a number of steps that can be taken, but perhaps the most important is to continue to educate young people about the dangers of vaping. We need to make sure that young people understand that e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to traditional smoking and that they can have serious health consequences.

In addition to education, we need to continue to take steps to limit the availability of e-cigarettes to young people.

This can be done through policies such as banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes or raising the legal age at which people can purchase e-cigarettes.

Ultimately, the rise of vaping among young people is a deeply troubling trend that needs to be addressed if we want to protect our children from the dangers of nicotine addiction. The use of menthol flavoring in e-cigarettes is just one of many ways this dangerous product is being marketed to our youth, and it is up to all of us to take action to protect our children.

If you find yourself addicted to tobacco, contact (800) 283-WELL to speak to someone who can help you stop smoking.

Marian Evans is the project coordinator for the Minority Initiative Sub-Recipient Grant Office at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.


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