Imagine taking a drive over to a vape shop, but you’re still a minor, no issues here. You can walk in without being 21 and purchase any vape from the shop that you’d like. That’s how easy it is for teens to purchase vapes. As long as they find the shops around town that don’t ask for ID, minors can find nicotine-filled products with ease. 

Vaping is a huge issue for teens of the 21st century because vape products are easily accessible for them. There are many shops around the United States that are allowing minors to buy these products without ID-ing them. From Hydes to Puff Bars, Juuls to Njoys, all these products are illegal for minors to use in the U.S., yet minors still have full access to them by going to the shops themselves or by having people buy the products for them. 

By vaping, you allow 7,000 toxic chemicals to go into your lungs. Through vaping nicotine, you allow yourself to be at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, begin to have cravings, and go into withdrawal if you choose to ignore the urge to vape. Vaping can also increase your blood pressure and cause your adrenaline to spike, increasing your heart rate and your likelihood of having a heart attack. 

The horrible toxic chemicals being inhaled in the lungs of today’s youth include not only nicotine a highly addictive chemical but also propylene glycol, carcinogens, acrolein, diacetyl, diethylene glycol, heavy metals, cadmium, benzene, and more. These chemicals can be found in items such as antifreeze, paint solvent, car exhaust, and weed killer. These chemicals are also known to cause cancer, lung disease, “popcorn lung”, and breathing problems. 

Vaping has many awful side effects which begs the question: why do teens choose to vape? Research shows that teens today vape because they are curious to try it, a friend or family member does it,  the flavor, or the fact that it can be used to do tricks. Teens try vapes due to those reasons however teens continue to vape because once they try it they become so easily addicted. These shops help allow teens to go in and buy these products. 

Vaping is a killer and causes so many problems for the youth today that it has become this crisis around the world. These shops that are allowing teens to continue to kill themselves need to be stopped. If they aren’t, more and more cancer, lung disease, and death will spread across the world. I watch people that I know and love kill themselves more and more everyday when they inhale and exhale those 7,000 toxic chemicals. It breaks my heart because everytime I watch them do it I know just how much it is hurting them due to their addiction. 

Addiction is the other major cause of this crisis. Once these teens try nicotine once or twice they become hooked. Addiction is a disease in and of itself, people struggle so hard to fight the urge to vape because of how addictive nicotine is. Being addicted to nicotine is very serious and very harmful. If you become addicted to nicotine it becomes a very large part of your life it takes over your life by creating strong urges and craving for more and more nicotine. 

If you refuse these urges and cravings you go into withdrawal. This looks like headaches, cravings, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and irritability. 

Quitting vaping is difficult but it is attainable, there are many sources out there that can provide you with help to quit. One great source is thetruth.com. They provide sources that can help get you on track to stop vaping once and for all. If you or someone you know wants to quit vaping go to that site and start quitting today.