Opinion: Ban Vaping, Not Cigarettes l Aaron Neuman

This past week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell introduced federal legislation that would bar anyone under 21 years of age from buying products that contain tobacco. The goal of the legislation is to lower the rates of addiction to the harmful substance across the United States. Statistics show that younger smokers are more vulnerable to addiction than are adults, hence the legislation which would hopefully cut down the number of youngsters buying and consuming tobacco products.

While the motives behind the bill are certainly commendable, I believe that when it comes to combatting addiction rates among minors it completely misses the boat. Smoking cigarettes is completely “out of style” with teenagers. As of a few years ago, electric cigarettes, like the Juul, has become the go-to item for teens that wish to smoke. Because of their popularity, these electronic cigarettes have caused a decline in teens who inhale tobacco smoke.

Although the transition among teens from cigarettes to e-cigs, a healthier option, may seem positive, research regarding the nature of addiction tells us otherwise. Addictions are caused when an individual uses a substance which causes the brain to release dopamine, also known as the pleasure chemical. When one becomes accustomed to these substances, they begin craving it so as to cause further releases of dopamine. But as one’s body adjusts to the substance, they require more and more of it to have the same effect they experienced when they first began using it. And therein lies the problem with electronic cigarettes.

Using e-cigarettes, commonly referred to as vaping, allows users to inhale water vapor along with nicotine. These e-cigs generally contain far less nicotine than an average cigarette, and with the added benefit of the inhalant not being actual smoke, is a safer choice than tobacco cigarettes. But that doesn’t take away the threat of addiction. As one uses e-cigs, and the body gets used to smoking them, they begin craving the nicotine. And over time, they need ever higher amounts of nicotine to satisfy their cravings. So they often end up transitioning from electric cigarettes to real cigarettes.

To combat addiction, lawmakers should ban electric cigarettes. Whereas the majority of teens stay away from cigarettes due to the danger as well as it’s bitter taste, e-cigs are less dangerous and taste fruity, and so the rates of teens smoking up have gone way up. But vaping is literally a gateway to actual cigarette smoking.

While lawmakers will probably drag their feet on dealing with this, if you are a parent of a teenager, you should not. Many parents allow their kids to vape, believing that it isn’t such a bad thing. But it is. Vaping can and does often lead to the use of cigarettes, hookas, and other ways for one to satisfy their nicotine cravings. If you’re a parent, say no to e-cigs.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. I’m sorry but this makes a claim without evidence that is not backed up by reality. very rarely do people who never smoked cigarettes start because of vaping. the smell and taste of cigarettes is quite off putting to people combined with the stigma smoking has become in a vape world. going after vaping which has helped many many people transition off of cigarettes is just ridiculous at this point

  2. Problem is, my until recently innocent young son simply walksinto the vaping store on 2nd and is receiving the merchandise at the snap of his fingers. Now what? He’s addicted along with half the Lakewood teens. I’m not sure if anyone around here is going to listen to the senate too fast. I wish mechanchim would involve themselves a little more with this issue. It’s not true that a good kid wouldn’t vape.

  3. As a person that went through the Yeshiva system you are way off in your opinion (for our circles)
    As 90% of Yeshiva bochurim smoked cigarettes before vaping was around.
    They are much better off vaping then smoking.
    Smoking was not out of style at all amongst the Yeshiva Bochur
    If your a parent, say yes to e-cigs

  4. “So they often end up transitioning from electronic cigarettes to real cigarettes” Yes exactly, so that’s the point of banning real cigarettes for the underage. This way that can’t happen.

  5. Couple of points. This article mentions JUUL. E-cigs need a hechser, I am not aware of any hecher on JUUL. If someone is aware of one, please leave the info in a comment.If it can’t be confirmed that Juul is kpsher, please correct your aticle

    I know a number of people who successfully quit smoking with e-cigs, gradually reducing nicotine content till it was down to zero, than stopping altogether. Smoking cigarettes was also much more common in Yeshivas until e-cigs came along, and if you think E-cigs are just as bad as cigarettes, speak to people who have done both.

  6. Nicotine is not very unhealthy, it is addictive. Cofee is also addictive. No study showes that vaping leads to smoking. Smoking is 1000 times worse than the little nicotine in the vape, it has litterly hundreds if not thosands of bas elements with besdis the smokeit include monoxide, tar, lead, arsenic, fromaldehyde, ammonia, benzene, ect……. So what are you writing????

  7. I’m a big fan of your opinion articles. Sorry, but you gotta do a little better than that sir.
    Marijuana, which is a starter drug, is legal in many places and you wanna ban something equivalent to children’s candy, did I get that right?

  8. Also keep in mind vaping isnt very healthy with all the chemicles they are inhaling into their lungs. And we dont know the long term effects of vaping yet. So I would be very cautious.

Comments are closed.