Persuasive Essay on Vaping and E-cigarettes Should Be Banned

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance which is as hard to give up as heroin.  2.06 million teens are using nicotine on a daily basis across America. Nicotine is commonly used in vaping and e-cigarettes, and the dosage is either lower or the same as in cigarettes and tobacco products.Some believe vapes lead to drug addictions, while others say they do nothing wrong and have no effect. Vaping and E-cigarettes should be banned. Vaping is unbenefictial to a person’s health and rather targets their packaging towards young children and gives them a higher risk of developing a nicotine addiction. 

The number of kids who vape is increasing, addicting new generations to nicotine and cigarettes, and introducing them to smoking. The percentage of kids who vape has gone up throughout the years, For example, "As of 2020, 19.6% of high school students used e-cigarettes, the most-used tobacco product among the age group, followed by cigars (5%)" (ProCon 1). 19.6% of high school students rely on nicotine. The nicotine in the vapes is the same as the one in cigarettes that can lead to them turning to cigarettes. Many of the students can get their friends addicted to nicotine as well, increasing the number of students who use e-cigarettes. The site also mentions that "One JUULpod contains as much nicotine as a pack of cigarettes, both of which last for about 200 puffs" (ProCon 1). Vaping can be just as bad and addictive as cigarettes. It may take longer to use the whole vape rather than a pack of cigarettes, but it's still the same amount of nicotine consumed. It is not a healthier option if it's not as different as cigarettes.   Matthew Myers, who campaigns against tobacco, stated, "Like cigarette companies, e-cigarette makers claim they don’t market to kids. But they’re using the same themes and tactics tobacco companies have long used to market regular cigarettes to kids (Exploring Issues 1). E-cigarettes and vape companies tend to rely on the same marketing used to get kids into cigarettes. They use the same techniques as tobacco companies that try to get kids to buy their products. They use a confident and good looking person to say vaping is cool and desirable. Vaping attracts many new people into smoking and opens many opportunities for health issues. 

Nicotine can lead to many problems regarding health.  Nicotine is a very addictive substance and can damage a person's body. One way it can affect a person is "Nicotine used by young people may increase the risk of addiction to other drugs and impair prefrontal brain development, which can lead to ADD and disrupt impulse control"(ProCon 1).  Nicotine can cause cravings and cause impulsive behavior if a person becomes addicted. Nicotine can lead to more drugs and can cause brain damage to a person.  Brain damage can lead to disorders like ADD. Not only does it lead to brain disorders, but also long-term diseases and strokes. The article states, "People who use e-cigarettes have a 71% increased risk of stroke and a 40% higher risk of heart disease, as compared to nonusers" (ProCon 1). People who use e-cigarettes or vapes have a higher chance of having a stroke or heart disease, which could kill them. The chemicals in the products can expose a person to life-long struggles because of a stroke. Heart disease is a long-term disease that can result from vaping and is the leading cause of death in America. A main contributor to these injuries and illnesses is the chemicals inside the vape. An example of what the chemicals can do is "Some ingredients in the liquids used in e-cigarettes change composition when they are heated, leading to inhalation of harmful compounds such as formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic" (ProCon 1). The liquids can change when heated, changing the compounds in the liquid. The liquid compounds could become dangerous and turn into chemicals like formaldehyde, which can lead to irritations all over the body and sometimes even cancer. Some health conditions and problems can cause problems for the rest of a person's life, but some argue it helps people with smoking.

E-cigarettes help people stop smoking. Studies have been done many times on this topic. One study states, "A July 2019 study found that cigarette smokers who picked up vaping were 67% more likely to quit smoking" (ProCon 1). That may be true, but people can still face health issues and still ingest an equal amount of nicotine found in a pack of cigarettes. Vapes can be safer than cigarettes because of the fact that they use vapor, not smoke. The website says, "However, most scientists agree that ESDs are much less harmful to health than tobacco cigarettes" (Exploring Issues). Vapes can be much safer than tobacco with items inside, but they can also expose a person to the same health problems as tobacco. Vaping can even heat up and change the liquid compound inside of it, creating formaldehyde, which can lead to cancer and irritations. The heat in the vapes can burn holes in the lungs as well, just like cigarettes. 

Vaping can cause many problems regarding health and contributes to attracting more children to turn to vaping. Vapes can be marketed the same as cigarettes and can be just as harmful. Vaping can lead to a gateway of health issues like strokes, heart attacks, ADD, nausea, and more. The liquid in the vapes can create dangerous compounds when heated up and can burn holes into the lungs.  It may be different than smoking and a healthier option, but the risks are still present.