On vaping

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Image from PBS.org


Across the United States there are massive pushes to ban vaping. Weather banning just the flavored pods or trying to get rid of it all together, it shows an issue with politics in our own country. According to this CNN article, six deaths have been attributed to vaping. A line reads “all reported cases have indicated the use of e-cigarette products and some patients have reported using e-cigarettes containing cannabinoid products, such as THC.” This shows that vaping itself is not actually the issue, as the main risk comes from aftermarket and bootleg cartridges bought and sold illegally without any restrictions.
The push to ban vapes that are legal and tested shows a reactionary stance, where politicians don’t wait for the research and just say and do what might get them the most votes next election cycle. By trying to ban legal vapes, especially popular add ons like flavored cartridges, will lead to people either buying illegal products from completely unregulated sellers with no idea of what they’re getting or simply turning to smoking. From a Harvard study, “Among those assigned to vaping, 18% had stopped smoking, while about 10% of those using nicotine replacement therapy had quit.”
Vaping, while teens shouldn’t do it, has helped many people quit smoking. By removing functioning adults’ freedom to make choices, weather they be poor or good, is never a good idea. If we look back to the prohibition of Alcohol in the US, many people turned to illegal sources of alcohol such as the many gangs and the mob.
Politicians attempting to ban the healthier and safer alternatives because they could claim they’re “trying to save the children” shows the manipulative tactics used to get votes. No one wants children to die, and people who don’t want to ban vaping are causing the deaths of children and teens are accused of promoting unsafe practices among the youth. Eventually, this will pass, and the next national outrage will prop up and a new debate about what to ban will begin.

Comments

  1. Elizabeth M. BlairOctober 22, 2019 at 1:25 PM

    Hello, Spencer! My name is Ms. Blair and I have been observing your classroom for the past few weeks. I will also be student teaching in your class this winter. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your classmates throughout this school year!

    Your post is an interesting example of when the values of a society are in tension with one another-- in this case, the value of health on one end and the value of individual freedom on the other. Do you think there is a solution to this issue that takes both of these values into account? Can you think of any other situations where two values are in conflict with one another?

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