Vaping is like a bad friend who takes over your life. Vaping is holding young people back from reaching their ultimate potential. I have seen instances where vaping has caused various distractions among teens in my school, causing them to miss out on important events like awards ceremonies, football games, tournaments and more. I have also seen the rips and tears that vaping causes in students’ social lives.
Evidence suggests that vaping can have negative effects on behavior among younger demographics. Studies show that young people who vape may be more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, such as drinking alcohol and using drugs. Additionally, some studies suggest that nicotine, found in many vaping products, can negatively affect young brains’ development. These behavioral changes, in turn, can hold young people back, limiting their ability to succeed.
When you begin vaping, it may seem like all is well, and vaping may act as an escape from other stresses in life. But just like a bad friend, it begins to change your life for the worse. You’ll find yourself hanging out with different people, and you may begin to go places you’ve never been and do things you’ve never done. It’ll all be exhilarating until that one day comes, and you miss an important opportunity, or your friend has left you because you only wanted to spend time with your vape.
Vaping is an addiction, and it doesn’t stop there—your want for the vape slowly becomes a need as the nicotine becomes your only gateway to happiness. Eventually, this vape-high might not be the only thing you turn to, and you may begin to seek more powerful drugs, leading to even further destruction of your life.
I believe all these things and more apply to many minors who vape, and it is an issue that needs fixing.
Enforce The Tobacco 21 Law
So how do we fix this? We could start with enforcing legislation related to the issue. The enforcement of the Tobacco 21 law will help eliminate or at least minimize teen access to vapes. The Tobacco 21 law is a regulation in the United States that prohibits the sale of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21. It was signed into law in December 2019 as part of a federal government spending bill. The law aims to reduce youth access to tobacco products and curb the rise of tobacco-related illnesses.
I believe that it is imperative that we crack down on the stores that sell vapes and tobacco products to under-aged kids and begin the path to ridding the town of vapes altogether. In my hometown of Indianola, Miss., many stores are currently selling vapes and other tobacco products to teens regardless of their age and the Tobacco 21 law. The effects of this illegal distribution is quite evident when you peek into the lives of young people here in Indianola. It seems as if these stores only care about money and not the well-being of the youth in the community.
Cracking down on these stores will help the youth community because it would cut off the ability for young people to get their hands on tobacco products, decreasing the number of youths addicted to these products. This would be nothing but beneficial, as the number of addicted minors is running rampant and causing visible effects. In addition, young people who were already addicted to vaping will be granted the chance to recover and have another chance at being a normal kid once again. This change will help to reverse their lives and start them on a path filled with wonder and success.
Vaping is a habit that no young person should be exposed to. It also brings harm to one’s mental and physical health, placing a stymie on essential growth. Youth all over the world should be freed from the horrid addiction of vaping and encouraged to pursue healthier activities. This could all be accomplished through proper legislation enforcement and counseling, a solution I believe would bring about great change for many years to come.
The Partnership For A Healthy Mississippi’s Generation FREE program submitted this column. The organization describes itself as a youth-led tobacco prevention program that empowers youth ages 12 to 18 to make informed decisions about tobacco use and encourages teens to fight back against the acts of big tobacco companies.
This MFP Voices essay does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to azia@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.
