Story By: Matthew Thomas
One of the biggest, current trends among teenagers and young adults is vaping.
Even at UM, there are several students who vape.
“I used to smoke cigarettes as well, and I started vaping, and I felt a little bit better,” said Taylor Cole, UM senior and math major.
Unlike cigarettes, vapes do not contain tobacco, but most vapes do contain nicotine.
“The nicotine is absolutely the worst thing in vaping, and in small doses it slightly raises your blood pressure, slightly constricts your blood vessels” said Matthew Morris, UM alumnus and Southern Vape employee.
Because of how addictive nicotine is, and the health issues that it can cause, some people have suggested raising the legal vaping age from 19 to 21.
However, some people feel that a change is not needed.
“I can see both sides of it. I say might as well just keep it 19 just for the sake of it, because it’s just old enough to where a lot of kids in high school won’t be able to get their hands on it,” said Cameron McGuffie, UM senior and communications major.
While it is unwise to promote vaping to people who have never vaped or smoked before, because of the health risks, some people think that vapes are a better alternative for people who have a history with cigarettes.
“I feel like vaping, especially in 2019, is getting a lot of flak from a lot of people, but you shouldn’t negate the fact that a lot of people are actually stopping smoking cigarettes,” said Matthew Morris.
A report published by Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and covered by CNN, stated that cigarette smoking has decreased by nearly two-thirds since 1965.
Overall, while vaping could have merit for certain people, it does have drawbacks.
If someone is considering vaping, it is important to be aware of the risks and to use judgement before starting.
Vallo Vision News 