The Current Adolescent Vaping Predicament

Twenty years from now there will be adults looking back to the days when they huddled around a flash drive sized device to chase a feeling, and there will be adults who look back, proud that they had better things to do. Through the years, Americans have employed different methods of dealing with stressful lives, some healthy some not. The young adults of each generation seem extra susceptible to the destructive ways of dealing with stress. Sometimes bad habits like tobacco products, alcohol, marijuana, and vaping start as a result of peer pressure or the desire to just try it once. While other vices are not justifiable, vaping has become an epidemic in America in the last few years. There is no plausible excuse for ingesting something that we know so little about. As the short term effects of these devices are becoming more clear, what started out as a harmless habit, now seems to be very damaging. The exponential growth of vaping in the last few years outlines an even bigger problem: too many American teens are turning to nicotine to entertain themselves or to escape their problems.
Vaping is not the only unhealthy routine practiced by teens, but it is the most socially acceptable and popular among teens of every age. The first step towards halting the growth of vaping across America is making teenagers see it for what it really is: a pathetic reason to inhale toxins and ruin your lungs. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, daily tobacco use among 12th graders has dropped from nearly 25% in 1996 to less than 4% in 2018. While a variety of factors can be attributed to helping lower this percentage, one of the biggest elements is social acceptability. Tobacco products are commonly viewed as damaging and repulsive. People easily turn a blind eye to the possible side effects of ingesting vape smoke. Simply because there is not much knowledge on the long term side effects of juuling, doesn’t make it safe. High school students feel that vaping will make them fit in, so they gather in the bathrooms in between classes to pass around any nicotine device that they can get their hands on. The health of the body and lungs is much more important than fitting in for a few years. Regardless of someone’s inability to accept that vaping is toxic, juuling will only seem cool until we realize how ridiculous of a habit it is. We should have learned from the mistakes of the past generations that participating in activities before fulling understanding how they will impact our lives is not smart.
The excuses that “I don’t have a problem. I don’t own one” or “it’s too addictive bro! I need that nic in the morning,” are old and overused. We can do better. I was always taught that the ability to own up to your mistakes and admit your wrongs is a sign of maturity. The excuse conjuring and blaming of others is at the core of the vaping problem. It is not the Juul company’s fault that you allowed yourself to become addicted to nicotine as a freshman in high school. It’s not your friend's fault that you purchased your own device because he didn't let you hit his. As a generation, we need to take responsibility for our actions. This problem does not solely rest on the victims of nicotine themselves. The kid that refuses to participate needs to stand up for others like him. Don’t let your younger peers go down that path. Be a trailblazer.
Whether it is for social reasons, to get rid of stress, or just because of the buzz, no excuse is a good excuse to vape. Nicotine addiction can make people find everything outside of getting buzzed boring. Relieving stress by trying to escape it is not a way to confront problems. Success and happiness cannot be achieved by cowering from obstacles. Our generation needs to combat this problem before it gets any worse. How do you want to look back on your teen years?