The vaping epidemic

Dear editor:

The use of electronic cigarettes by teenagers has skyrocketed the past few years. In our state alone, one in five teenagers vape or has at least tried vaping. Many students that I have talked to about vaping stated that they vape because they think it is harmless. However, research has shown that vaping is dangerous and can end up being more harmful than smoking. Many teenagers in Hot Springs do not know about the dangers of vaping and that is a problem that we must come together as a community to solve.

Some communities have started implementing educational courses about vaping and smoking into their physical education program, and the results were shocking. I believe if we do the same thing we would surely see a change to our teen vaping epidemic. When I attended a school in Hot Springs, all we did during PE was use our phone or play basketball. Instead of that time being wasted, we should implement a few lessons about the dangers of vaping. Students will learn about the health impact of vaping, and also help students develop essential skills such as self-regulation and communication in situations where they might feel pressured to vape by their peers.

As vaping becomes more popular we must start taking action to educate our teens about its dangers. The youth are the future of this community and we must equip them with the necessary tools to not only benefit their future but the future of this community as a whole. Ghailan Fadah Hot Springs