The MFJS Reporter — Winter 2020 M-W

Social media was a large contributor to the rise in popularity of these products; JUUL being the most popular. Smith states, “Social media helped hook everyone on them. I think people saw other people with JUULs and felt left out, not realizing the possible lifelong addiction.” 

These products are still so new that no one really knows the long or short term effects vaping has on our lungs. JUUL initially claimed to be the saving grace of the centuries old cigarette problem, but it turns out to be just as bad in other ways. Since it’s spike in popularity there have been a number of cases where these devices cause a mysterious lung illness that has resulted in 47 deaths. 

Smith now uses other brands such as the Puff Bar and other variations of an e cig but the health concerns haven’t seemed to bother him much. “It made me more paranoid to use them but it wasn’t fully enough to stop me.”

Ironically, college kids are now turning back to cigarettes. Recent study abroad student, Ethan Berkery, admittedly stopped vaping due to fear from health issues it caused others and fear from dying from these products. Berkery states, “I like cigarettes more now.” 

He is not the only one who stopped vaping because they believe cigarettes are healthier for them. Ben Quezada also prefers cigarettes over JUUL because he started experiencing lung complications himself. “I could noticeably feel worse when I was hitting the JUUL vs when I wasn’t. My lungs hurt in different ways.” 

JUUL was supposed to be a tool used to help adult smokers give up cigarettes. Instead, we seeing are countless teenagers catching a nicotine addiction. Even worse, we are seeing young adults regress back to cigarettes. It seems the way of smoking is not the issue at hand. The addiction seems to be the problem. DU students are not looking to curb the habit, they are simply looking for healthier alternatives. But does a healthier alternative exist?

Are these horror stories enough to stop this vaping epidemic? Will health concerns over power the trend of these products? How do we stop this addictive cycle of vape and cigarettes? 

Smith has an idea about how to stop the vicious cycle. “Growing up in the 2010s, right before the vapes came out it wasn’t cool to smoke anymore. We were supposed to be the first generation to not be smoking at all, but the vapes got everyone addicted. I think we have to make smoking not cool again.”