SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: Vaping on Campus a Big Problem

The New York Times recently published an article that discusses the overwhelming use of vape products among college students. A study conducted by the University of Michigan found the number of individuals who vaped from 2017-2018 doubled. This has become a major concern for health officials as students are not considering the negative affects these products have on their bodies and are overlooking the potential consequences when choosing to vape.

Addiction comes in many forms. One student in Georgia who was interviewed is aware of her habit and fashions her vape pen as a “security blanket,” helping her keep her anxiety under control and implies “It’s not what it’s doing to your lungs… it’s what it’s doing to your head. That’s the most difficult thing to quit.”

Questions raised from the article puts more questions out there to be answered, such as how to stop the use of this addictive product? What began to help established smokers try to quit, has backfired, and now has created new smokers among the younger generation. Unfortunately, vaping is seen to the users as a habit, not as an addiction. It is seen as a social amenity to interact with others and gain connections by the users who no longer have reprimanding from parents or authorities.

As the legal limit to purchase an e-cigarette has increased to 21 years, there are still ways for the younger generation to acquire these harmful devices via the dark web. Sellers buy these devices and pods online through other sellers and makers who are not concerned about who the purchaser is as it reached the consumers. Sellers who receive their products off the dark web have no idea what’s really being put into their products, where it’s coming from and who’s making them. This poses a major concern that can affect the long term recovery for individuals who are being harmed by these makeshift devices. College students and their independence is not helping the fight against the usage of e-cigarettes and vaping regulations among college campuses need to be put into effect as soon as possible.

SAFE Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned about vaping and seeks to educate and update the community regarding its negative consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencove or visit the Vaping Facts and Myths Page of SAFE’s website to learn more www.safeglencove.org.