Writer Biography

Caroline Feeney is a sophomore at Utah State University. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire but completed high school in Alabama. Caroline is the youngest in her family with two older brothers. She plans to pursue a degree in psychology with a minor in criminal justice and social work.

This essay was composed in December 2022 and uses MLA documentation.

I WAKE UP TO A SCREECHING ALARM AND PANIC immediately surges throughout my body. I cannot find my vape. Most nights I fall asleep clenching my vape and usually let go sometime during the night, and I must search for it most mornings. A feeling of panic coincides with the search; it is a ritual. I stand up and violently rip my blanket off my bed. I hear a thud against the wall. There it is, I think to myself as I clench the cold, metallic device and instantly press it against my lips. My taste buds feel quenched as they drown in strawberry ice lemonade vapor.

I am 16 and have been addicted to nicotine for almost a year. I have friends, play a varsity sport, and work at a local pizza restaurant. However, I have a secret: a vape completely controls my attitude and behavior. Unfortunately, I am not alone in this addiction. Nearly 1 out of 8 high schoolers are addicted to nicotine vapes (Gentzke et al. 2). We must stop adolescent vaping because it is detrimental to the developing bodies of teens and the new gateway drug. Underage electronic cigarette use is an epidemic and affects every town in our country. However, it is not the adolescents’ fault. Corrupt companies intentionally advertise and deceive adolescents to become lifelong nicotine consumers and addicts.

Nicotine is a naturally occurring alkaloid that has been consumed for hundreds of years (Overbeek et al. 532). The alkaloid is highly addictive, which explains the addictiveness of nicotine products. Prior to the early 2000s, nicotine could only be smoked from combustible cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless products such as chewing tobacco. The first electronic cigarette was invented in 2003 but did not become popular until the 2010s (Overbeek et al. 532). Electronic cigarettes were originally intended to aid in the cessation of smoking, and as a result, electronic cigarettes are still marketed as a healthier alternative to combustible cigarettes due to the lack of combustion which creates toxins and carcinogens (Tai et al. 193). However, that is the only aspect that differentiates electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes. This misconception regarding the use of electronic cigarettes may lead some people to think vaping is a safe alternative to combustible cigarettes. However, both electronic cigarettes and combustible cigarettes have detrimental health effects and contain the highly addictive alkaloid nicotine (Casamento et al. 2, Seo and Chang).

Electronic cigarettes are colloquially known as vapes. They are composed of a battery, a liquid compartment, and a heating element or coil. The liquid in the compartment is heated until it is vaporized, then inhaled by the user (Casamento et al. 1, “Quick Facts”). Vapes are versatile: substances like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and new psychoactive substances (abbreviated to NPS) can all be vaporized by a vape (Tai et al. 192). This versatility increases the likelihood and ease of other drug use. In fact, vapes are often called the “Swiss army knife for substance abuse” (Tai et al. 193). This comparison aptly describes the diversity of drugs people can use vapes for.

A majority of the American public believes the misconception that vapes are healthier and safer than combustible cigarettes (Gentzke et al. 11). A consequence of the misconception is the nonchalant approach to stopping nicotine addiction in adolescence. Because vaping is not a top concern in the United States (US), there is no rush to end the epidemic. Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) declared adolescent vaping a public health concern in 2019, little to nothing has been enacted to combat the issue. As a matter of fact, the prevalence of adolescent vaping has only increased since the CDC proclaimed underage vaping a public health concern (Tai et al. 192). We must raise awareness of the dangers of adolescent vaping to the US public to fight the epidemic.

Most tobacco use begins in adolescence (Gentzke et al. 1). Adolescence is a vulnerable, transitional period of human life, and the brain is curious. Unfortunately, this curiosity may lead to lifelong addictions. Like all addictions, some specific demographics are more likely to become addicts. For example, males are more likely to use vapes than females. Males generally possess more impulsivity which can lead to risky behavior such as vaping. Furthermore, vape use is more common in the urban and western parts of the US (Parks and Patrick 417). Urban areas have more infrastructure which increases the accessibility of vaping. Additionally, most long-time vapers are white and have highly educated parents (Moss and Keyes 115). I believe this is because educated people understand cigarettes have adverse effects, but no one knows the long-term effect of vaping yet. This distorted perception, along with ignorance, excuses the potential long-term consequences of vaping. Studies have also observed disproportionately higher prevalence rates of nicotine use among Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (Seo and Chang). Males, white people with highly educated parents, and people of Native American/Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander descent endure the most risk of becoming a victim of adolescent vaping.

Vaping companies target adolescents. In the 2010s, JUUL owned the vaping industry. One of their JUUL pods is equivalent to 20 cigarettes or one pack (Seo and Chang, “Quick Facts”). This high concentration of nicotine in a JUUL pod is alarming. When I used JUUL products, I would vape an entire pod, sometimes more, in one day. This means that I was unknowingly vaping the equivalent amount of nicotine of at least 20 cigarettes each day. This high concentration of nicotine explains how much more addictive they are than combustible cigarettes. The Attorney General Paxton of Texas began an investigation of JUULs’ marketing and sales practices. After two years of examining JUUL, the courts decided that a settlement of $439 million would be divided among 34 states. Additionally, the courts ruled that JUUL must comply with strict, severe marketing and sales restrictions (“Paxton”). The company was found responsible for soliciting adolescents to buy its addictive products.

JUUL was advertising and intentionally appealing to underage users (Casamento et al. 2, “Quick Facts”, “Paxton”, Seo and Chang, Tai et al. 193). The company sold vapor flavors such as desserts, candies, and even sodas (Gentzke et al. 2). It is not logical for a company that targets adults to produce products with flavors like “Strawberry Vanilla Cupcake Milkshake” or “Chocolate Marshmallow” (Overbeek et al. 532). These flavors are obviously targeting underage users. In addition, JUUL employed age verification techniques on its website. These techniques only required checking a box to proceed and order JUUL products from their website. The company was aware that a majority of its consumers were underage. Therefore, the company manipulated its vapor formula to be smoother when inhaled by young, undamaged throats and lungs (“Paxton”). To me, the manipulation of the chemicals within their products is complete admittance of their corrupt marketing and sales.

Another aspect of the vaping epidemic is the accessibility and the hiding ability the devices possess. For example, 56.8% of parents could not identify a JUUL device (Overbeek et al. 535). The lack of parental awareness of vapes allows adolescents to easily conceal their vaping devices at home and school. Some vapes can look like pens, USB drives, or other common items (“Quick Facts”, “Paxton”, Seo and Chang). Since JUUL and other vape devices can be difficult to identify, it poses challenges for parents and teachers to stop adolescents from vaping.

Other challenges that accompany vaping include the presence of inaccurate or inconsistent labeling on vape products (Tai et al. 193). Some products are advertised and sold as nicotine free, while in fact, they contain nicotine. Companies are employing loopholes because vaping is a new phenomenon in our society. Vaping is so recent that two out of three JUUL users aged 15 to 24 did not know that JUUL products contained nicotine (“Quick Facts”). It is absurd and extremely dangerous that there are no stricter laws surrounding nicotine product marketing and packaging.

Moreover, nicotine use increases the potential for usage of other, more dangerous drugs (“Quick Facts”, Etter 1776, Seo and Chang). In fact, vapers are six times more likely to smoke combustible cigarettes (Parks and Patrick 535). The idea that drug use leads to more drug use is called The Gateway Theory. The theory was first proposed in the 1970s. It originally posited that marijuana use would lead to heroin use. The theory has three components: initial use of marijuana, exposure to other substances through culture and peers which normalizes the abuse, which can lead to other drug use (Etter 1776). In short, the theory describes how drug use intensifies over time. More recently, The Gateway Theory has transitioned to characterize the risks associated with adolescent vaping. For instance, vaping may inspire an adolescent to experiment with other substances that can be vaped such as marijuana. A curious, naive adolescent may continue trying and testing different substances which can lead to more serious, life-threatening drug addictions. A Canadian tobacco study conducted in 2017 revealed vaping correlates with higher alcohol and marijuana use. As a matter of fact, adolescents that vape regularly are 3.5 times more likely to smoke marijuana (Parks and Patrick 535). The correlation between vaping and marijuana is prominent. Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC is the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis that provides the high or the addictive part. If an adolescent is exposed to nicotine it can cause their brain to be susceptible to other addictions more easily, such as a THC addiction (Tai et al. 192). Adolescents are especially susceptible.

Tobacco and related products are the number one cause of preventable diseases, disabilities, and death in the United States (Gentzke et al. 1). Unfortunately, this statistic does not startle enough people. Nor does this: 9% of all deaths in the United States are due to tobacco products (Overbeek et al. 532). In the mid-1990s, a major relationship between chronic diseases and cancer was linked to cigarette smoking (Overbeek et al. 532). However, vaping is too new of a phenomenon to know the long-term health effects yet (Casamento et al. 2). However, inhaling chemicals into the lungs is not healthy for anyone.

Vaping in adolescence poses more concerns due to the rapid development of cognitive abilities. The human brain is vulnerable and not fully developed until the mid-20s (“Quick Facts”, Tai et al. 192). The brain is forming synapses, or connections, throughout the brain. Nicotine and other drug use alter these connections (“Quick Facts”). Additionally, the parts of the brain that control attention, impulse control, mood, and learning are all negatively altered when nicotine is present in the body (“Quick Facts”, Seo and Chang). These crucial developments are stalled and can lead to lifelong adverse effects. Other negative repercussions of vaping are cardiovascular problems and other respiratory risks (Casamento et al. 1, Seo and Chang). Health effects can present as shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, or gastrointestinal issues like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal pain (Casamento et al. 4). None of these side effects are pleasant, and adolescents should not have to cope with them at a young age.

E-cigarette or Vaping product use Associated Lung Injury (abbreviated to EVALI) is a new diagnosis for people hospitalized for vaping. The CDC reports an accumulated 2,800 cases of EVALI in 2022 in the US (“Quick Facts”, Overbeek et al.). 80% of the people diagnosed with EVALI are under the age of 35. For example, a 15-year-old girl presents to the emergency room in a hospital after respiratory failure. The girl is healthy except for her daily use of nicotine vapes and THC vapes. She would not otherwise experience respiratory failure. After 48 hours of intensive therapies and medications, the young girl made a recovery. However, she must quit using nicotine and THC vape products for the rest of her life (Casamento et al. 2). The girl almost prematurely lost her life due to underage vaping.

The first step to combating the epidemic is to grow awareness of the harmful effects of adolescent vaping, and vaping in general. The FDA has placed restrictions on the flavors that can be legally sold (“Quick Facts”, Gentzke et al. 13, Moss and Keyes 115). This reduces the appeal to adolescents. Another important factor is to educate youth on the health risks and dangers of vaping. The Fundamental Cause Theory proves this idea: if youth knows vaping is dangerous, they are less likely to engage in that behavior (Moss and Keyes 115). Campaigns such as The Real Cost is one of the leading anti-vaping campaigns. As of now, their campaign videos have reached over 10 million adolescents (“Quick Facts”). Additionally, policies that enforce clean indoor air reduce vaping indoors and reduce the amount of secondhand smoke/clouds (Gentzke et al. 13). There is hope that these solutions can cause a shift in adolescent vaping statistics.

Before I turned 16, I became entrapped in the vicious cycle of nicotine addiction. I was the target of large companies, such as JUUL, that entice underage users through flavors and advertisements. I innocently traded my health for delicious flavors. After three years of vaping, I quit. I felt proud but soon fell victim to more statistics. I began smoking combustible cigarettes. I am demanding something must change to stop adolescents from becoming victims of nicotine companies. The first step to ending this epidemic is to raise awareness of the health risks and addictiveness of nicotine to adolescents, their parents, and their teachers.

Works Cited

Casamento Tumeo, Chiara, et al. “E-Cigarette or Vaping Product Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) in a 15 Year Old Female Patient – Case Report.” Italian Journal of Pediatrics, vol. 48, no. 1, July 2022, p. 119. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1186/s13052-022-01314-6. Accessed 24 Oct. 2022.

Etter, Jean‐François. “Gateway Effects and Electronic Cigarettes.” Addiction, vol. 113, no. 10, Oct. 2018, pp. 1776–83. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1111/add.13924. Accessed 5 Oct. 2022.

Gentzke, Andrea S., et al. “Tobacco Product Use and Associated Factors Among Middle and High School Students — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2021.” MMWR Surveillance Summaries, vol. 71, no. 5, Mar. 2022, pp. 1–29. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.15585/mmwr.ss7105a1. Accessed 21 Oct. 2022.

Moss, Shadiya L., and Katherine M. Keyes. “Commentary on Foxon & Selya (2020): Social Gradients in Long‐term Health Consequences of Cigarette Use—will Adolescent E‐ Cigarette Use Follow the Same Trajectory?” Addiction, vol. 115, no. 12, Dec. 2020, pp. 2379–81. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1111/add.15268. Accessed 23 Oct. 2022.

Overbeek, Daniel L., et al. “A Review of Toxic Effects of Electronic Cigarettes/Vaping in Adolescents and Young Adults.” Critical Reviews in Toxicology, vol. 50, no. 6, July 2020, pp. 531–38. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1080/10408444.2020.1794443. Accessed 20 Oct. 2022.

Parks, Michael J., and Megan E. Patrick. “Protective Factors for Nicotine and Marijuana Vaping Among U.S. Adolescents.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 62, no. 3, Mar. 2022, pp. 414–21. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.08.022. Accessed 4 Oct. 2022.

“Paxton Announces $439 Million Multistate Settlement with Juul for Deceptive Marketing and Sales Practices; Texas to Recover $42.8 Million.” Texas Attorney General, 6 Sept. 2022, https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/paxton-announces-439-million-multi state-settlement-juul-deceptive-marketing-and-sales-practices. Accessed 19 Oct. 2022.

“Quick Facts on the Risks of e-Cigarettes for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 Oct. 2022, https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of -E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

Seo, Y.S., and YP Chang. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in E-Cigarette and Cigarette Use Among Adolescents.” Immigrant Minority Health, vol. 24, 713–720, 2022. https://doi-org.dist.lib.usu.edu/10.1007/s10903-021-01229-0. Accessed 2 Nov. 2022.

Tai, Hsiangyi, et al. “The Future of Substance Abuse Now: Relationships among Adolescent Use of Vaping Devices, Marijuana, and Synthetic Cannabinoids.” Substance Use & Misuse, vol. 56, no. 2, Feb. 2021, pp. 192–204. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2020.1849305. Accessed 4 Oct. 2022.