by Vianca Soria
A few years ago, vaping was everywhere as a hobby. Now, vaping is in the news for another reason: it’s been linked to a number of deaths and related illnesses, and scientists haven’t quite figured out exactly why.
As of press time for this article, there have been 36 deaths related to vaping in the United States. These deaths have taken place in 24 states, and have affected all kinds of people.
According to statistics from a recent study that was released on CNN, the deaths of the people who died from complications related to vaping were 59 percent male, with ages ranging from 17 to 75. There aren’t many identity-based factors that seem to increase risk.
Vaping was invented as an alternative to smoking. Some contained weed and some contained nicotine, which is the addictive agent in cigarettes. Vaping is often done through e-cigarettes. Some examples of e-cigarette brands are Vapor4Life, NJOY, and Mig Vapor.
You can buy e-cigarettes at Vape Shops, Amazon, and on eBay. They look like pens. They’re easy to use. You click a button five times to turn the device on; the person using it sucks on it, and they take in the substance. Even with the latest health concerns, e-cigarettes are readily available.
People used to think vaping was healthier than smoking. The difference between the two is that vaping doesn’t contain tobacco, which is the ingredient in cigarettes that causes cancer. But they do contain a lot of the same chemicals.
Many people have expressed distress or concern about the continued use of vapes.
“I think vaping is really bad for you and people should not do it. I feel like it has a really bad effect on society, especially our age group — the teenage community,” said Caleb B Jordan, a musical theater major at the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts).
Cary James, a diverse learner case managers at ChiArts, also thinks that the positive effects of vaping have been overstated, but he likes e-cigarettes better than traditional cigarettes.
“ I really don’t want people to smoke cigarettes my six year old daughter will hold her nose and say gross while we walk by people smoking which is ya know borderline disrespectful, but i do think they are an issue,” James said.
Imani Lasenby, a musical theater major at ChiArts, said that nicotine was the man culprit.
“Nicotine is bad, Juuls are, they’re also very, very bad,“ Lasenby said.
