Many teens and young adults are ditching conventional tobacco products like cigarettes for vaporizers and e-cigarettes, like a Juul.
But why?
Most students say it’s because it was advertised as the healthier option.
Juuls and other vaporizers heat a liquid that contains nicotine to be inhaled. This method of consumption was widely perceived to be safer than smoking cigarettes, which delivers nicotine by physically burning the tobacco. The smoke created by cigarettes contains numerous harmful chemicals and carcinogens.
Each student that spoke to Temple Update wished to remain anonymous because of fear their parents would discover their habits.
“I started because it was supposed to be the healthier alternative but now I’m 19 and I still vape and I think about it everyday,” said one student.
Others say they started to vape because of peer pressure and the supposed fear of “missing out” on something.
“I started junior year of high school because my friends were doing it and I really liked the feeling,” said another student.
Over the past several months, scores of people have been hospitalized for severe lung injuries linked to vaping and the usage of e-cigarettes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of November 20th, report that 47 people have died because of lung related injuries.
In July, Temple University implemented a new tobacco-free campus policy banning the consumption of combustible tobacco on campus, as well as e-cigarettes and nicotine delivery devices.
This story was created in collaboration with The Temple News. Click here to read their article examining the health related issues of vaping.
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