YOUTH BEWARE OF VAPING RISKS

Cotton candy, strawberry, cherry, buttered popcorn: these sound like fun, candy flavours

being offered to vulnerable and easily influenced kids and young adults. Even an apparatus used to ingest these poisons sounds cool: Juul. But do we actually know what the threats really are to our health from this “healthy alternative to smoking”?

Vaping has become a huge part of teens’ everyday lives and has created the misconception that it is not truly smoking. It has grown in popularity immensely and is a popular topic of conversation, whether that be at parties on the weekend or in the hallways at school. It is rare to see a teenager who doesn’t own or use a vape.

One-fourth of North American students vape and the majority of these students don’t think it will affect their health. All of these young teenagers’ regular nicotine use can lead to altering of teen brain development, affecting their memory and concentration, reduced impulse control, and cognitive and behavioural issues, not to mention what the real, and as yet unproven, dangers to their lungs might be.

The colourful and tasteful advertisements are also a huge reason as to why vaping attracts young adults. They use bright coloUrs and intriguing flavours as a marketing strategy. Over 44 per cent of those under the age of 18 were receptive to the vaping ads. As a community, we need

to step up and change the attitudes and opinions on vaping. We need to educate our youths about the real danger of people offering this “candy” to our children.

Quinn Kirkland, UPEI student