The use of ecigarettes, especially among teenagers, is something everyone should tackle together.
Many are aware that vaping causes negative effects on the body, but not everyone knows what ejuices – which contain up to 200 different chemicals, including nicotine, heavy metals, ammonia, and flavourants such as diacetyl – can do to our health.
Some of these chemicals are toxic and, when inhaled, are harmful, especially if one vapes regularly over long periods.
Vapers may experience shortness of breath, coughing and chest pain until the symptoms worsen. These ailments can cause long-term damage.
Not only does vaping cause teeth discolouration and dental problems, it also affects the respiratory system and one’s overall health, potentially leading to death as vapers can develop poor blood circulation, lung tumours and cancer.
Vaping is very addictive and dangerous once one really gets into it. Just like drug addiction, vapers may experience immense stress and even physical pain, including headaches, if they do not get their regular puffs. This dependency may cause depression and anxiety.
Addiction to ecigarettes can be extremely tricky to handle, especially if teenagers’ parents are not aware of their habit. They may not only feel immense pressure as they keep trying to avoid the temptation, but the extra stress and guilt of hiding the truth from the adults would be another burden to shoulder. Surely, their schoolwork will suffer.
Teenagers are easily influenced by social media, which creates the false impression that ecigarettes are cool. This increases the number of youths picking up the bad habit from a young age.
The government should highlight the benefits of quitting ecigarettes and provide guidance on how to go about it in schools and on social media.
Besides using posters and videos to spread awareness, schools can invite doctors to speak about the dangers of vaping.
Please do not experiment with something that can cause so much harm to your body. You don’t want to regret this when it is too late.
SEOYUL KIMYear NineHELP International School
