Teens and vaping: The unfiltered truth

Many teens don’t see the harm in it and nobody knows the long-term effects.

That’s the general sentiment among school faculty and parents about teenagers and vaping.

E-cigarettes, the umbrella term for any vaping device such as JUULs or vape pens, work by heating liquid, commonly nicotine oil, into a vapor that’s inhaled. This process is supposedly lighter on the lungs than the hot smoke produced by other tobacco methods.

Since their introduction to the world in 2004, e-cigarettes have risen in popularity, thanks in part to their claim that they are safer than traditional cigarettes. But, their popularity with teenagers has created a worrisome trend that was recently declared a youth epidemic by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an Oceanside Collegiate Academy sophomore and Daniel Island resident told The Daniel Island News that the local area is not excluded from the craze. He believes use at his school is widespread.

“It is very, very well hidden,” the student said. “Kids will go to the bathrooms or they’ll always find some way to do it. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone get caught or anything like that. It’s sort of a thing where kids don’t really see the harm in it.”

For some parents, it’s alarming because so many ambiguities remain. Is vaping dangerous? What are the long-term effects? Why does vaping seem to appeal to teenagers? How can parents talk to their kids about it? With questions like this in mind, The Daniel Island News will run a limited series this month on vaping amongst teens in an effort to educate parents and kids on the product. This week, we focus on the medical aspects of vaping. Other topics in the series include a look at e-cigarette use at local schools, including survey results from area students, and the local law enforcement perspective.