We all know how popular vaping products have gotten in the recent years, especially amongst teens. Are these vaping habits becoming a genuine problem? Are there actual associated health risks? These are all questions that teenagers are asking, and even facing the consequences of in some cases. This article will provide helpful insight and possibly answer some of questions.

The first step in my investigation was to interview some people who I thought were justified to answer some questions on the matter, Mr. C, and IHS Senior Ian Barg. Given that the FDA has been investigating Juul Labs and many other companies in the vaping industry, my first question for Mr. C was “what are your main concerns with health risks?” “[So I have] a lot of concerns; the main one is that there seem to be more and more health risks associated with [it] that we’re just finding out about, and kids don’t seem to be aware of that, and also it’s obviously a lot of kids who are addicted to it. It seems like a kind of gateway [to] start doing other drugs after doing that. There certainly are health risks associated with it, and you don’t want to be addicted to anything.” 

In regards to how many vaping products he has had to confiscate in the last year, Mr. C claimed that he has had to confiscate “more than 12 and there’s been multiple students who have had serious consequences including getting suspended from school and also being suspended from Sports from the MIAA.” Mr. C closed the interview by stating that “you don’t want to have addiction hanging over your shoulders.  It can affect you for the rest of your life.”

Given that recently the FDA has made certain restrictions upon vaporizers, it seems that Mr. C’s concerns are shared. In an attempt to get an opinion from both sides of the spectrum, I also interviewed IHS Senior Ian Barg, who is 18 and can legally buy and use these products.  

When asked if how bad he thought vaping amongst teens really was, Ian Barg claims that “Just about every person I know has vaped, or currently vapes; it’s a lot worse than some people realize I think.” How often do you vape? “Every now and then.  I don’t bring my own to school, but if someone is in the bathroom with one they usually offer it.”  He also said, “I enjoy them personally, but I try to be careful not to get addicted to them; there are kids our age that get the shakes when they can’t get a fix, so I don’t really mess with that.”

While the use of vaping products is an issue, it seems that generally people are aware of the associated health risks, yet seem chose to ignore this and use them anyway. This article isn’t meant to preach whether or not vaping is cool or uncool, but merely to serve as a reminder that it may not be the safest thing to do to your developing bodies. Stay safe and educated yourselves before you make a choice.