E-Cigarettes: What Students Should Know

E-Cigarettes: What Students Should Know

Lindsay Mickle, Staff Writer

In the 20th century, around 100 million people died from tobacco products. If trends continue in the 21st century, it is estimated that 100 billion people will lose their life from tobacco. The leading cause of premature death right now is smoking. This is because smokers lose on average around 15 years of their life because of their harmful lifestyle. On a much more narrow perspective, one person dies every seven seconds from smoking and the mess it makes of your respiratory system. Every single day, between 80,000 and 100,000 people become addicted to tobacco products. The tobacco industry as whole also wreaks havoc on our economy. Every year $500 billion is spent because of health care, fire damage, productivity loss, and other effects of tobacco products.

All of these facts are well known throughout the world, yet it doesn’t stop people from continuing to ruin their bodies with addiction, tar, smoke, nicotine, and disease. However, some people see the danger, and properly conceal themselves from it. Others, not so much. Young people have found a new method of getting their nicotine. A “healthier” and “safer” method of consumption. E-Cigarettes. These devices are defined as battery operated cigarettes that provide nicotine with chemical flavorings in a vapor instead of smoke. Cigarettes are dangerous because of the inhalation of tar and smoke into the lungs, and are addictive because of the nicotine drug found inside. While not all e-cigarettes contain nicotine, they perfectly pave the path towards the drug. The information available for these newer products is insufficient, but they are advertised highly towards teenagers. They are made with different flavorings and nicotine free liquids to tell kids that there are completely safe and harmless. Since this is shown off as something appealing to teenagers, many have no idea what risks can come from these products.

Whether you use normal cigarettes or vaporizers, nicotine is still consumed and still harms the body. When nicotine is inhaled it travels to the brain and causes a release of adrenaline. This causes the user to feel a racing heart and/or shallow breathing while smoking or vaping. Nicotine also will increase heart rate, blood pressure, and restricts blood flow to the heart. Not only does it have short term effects like these, but it has long term effects as well, like addiction.

To try and find out a little bit more about E-Cigarettes, I interviewed two current students from the Auburn Enlarged City School District. Both students wished to not use their names, due to the nature of the discussion.

The first was with a freshman student at Auburn High School:

Q. Do you think that e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. Why?

A. Yes, because there are less chemicals than with regular cigarettes and they don’t have the harmful substances that are found in tobacco.

Q. Do you know about the potential dangers that come with using e-cigarettes?

A.Yes, they can explode if unregulated, however if it’s regulated it turns off when it gets too hot.

Q. Do you use e-cigarettes with nicotine?

A. No.

Q. Why’d you start using e-cigarettes?

A. To stop smoking weed and other things.          

The other interview was with an 8th grade student from Auburn Junior High School:

Q. Do you think e-cigarettes are safer than regular cigarettes. Why?

A.Yes because with e-cigarettes you can buy “juice” with no nicotine in it and there are harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke that are included with cigarettes. Also e-cigarettes are FDA approved.

Q. Do you know the potential dangers of using e-cigarettes?

A. It depends on the brand and batteries for the for the e-cigarette. They can be dangerous if not charged or if a battery gets too low it can burn the coil in the e-cigarette which makes the hit taste nasty and burnt. And if you don’t charge the battery and take a hit anyway it can burn the atomizer and catch on fire.

Q. Do you use e-cigarettes with nicotine?

A. No, never.

Q. Why’d you start using e-cigarettes?

A. I started using them to get off my addiction to tobacco products, and so far it has helped me.

Similar to the two students interviewed, most young users of e-cigarettes know some of the dangers of the devices. Yet they continue to use them. This leaves many people wondering, why? Why take the risk? Many of the users tend to believe the only potential risks of using vapors are technical difficulties. However, this is not always the case. The marketing on these devices tries to keep its main focus on the younger generation. It coincides with the tobacco company. Once teenagers get a taste of e-cigarettes, they may want more. This can lead to kids getting into smoking, or heavier drugs in the future. There are cases that show the opposite effects though. Like both of the interviewed students stated, they use e-cigarettes to battle addiction, not start it. In that way, e-cigarettes can be helpful, but risks still arise. Vapors without nicotine don’t help with nicotine addictions. People get addicted to the drug, not the smoke.

It’s often said that weed or marijuana are the gateway drugs. They open the path for people to try out different, more harmful forms of drugs. Could e-cigarettes be the gateway to smoking habits? This question was answered by Adam Leventhal, an addiction scientist at the University of Southern California. He conducted an experiment with 2,530 high school freshman. Among these, 222 had used electronic cigarettes before. They answered questions about their families, backgrounds, and habits. At the end of the survey, the results showed that the students who had used e-cigarettes where three times more likely to start smoking.

Research shows that there are pros and cons to the use of e-cigarettes. They can both start and stop tobacco addictions. The choice on whether they are the lesser of both evils is one for people to personally make. There are facts and evidence to promote both arguments, whether they are safe or dangerous. So, the choice is yours to make. E-cigarettes, helpful or harmful?