E-Cigarettes Become the Most Popular Tobacco Product

As technology becomes an integral part of daily life for Americans, it is no surprise that e-cigarettes have not been replaced by machines.   Many are pleased to see that the rate of smoking among teenagers has decreased, with a 27.1% drop since 1997 according to the CDC. However, while people continue to read, tobacco use has not declined among young people in the ways one might imagine.   In 2015, over 3 million middle and high school students were considered e-cigarette users, a number that has exceeded 500,000 this year. (In comparison, 1.6 million used cigarettes).   This makes e-cigarettes the most popular tobacco product among today’s youth - e-cigarettes, often referred to as vaping, are used by an estimated 16% of American high school students.   "(Teenagers) do this to fit in, to stand out. Vaping hasn’t caused any problems, physically (because it’s still a relatively new product), so young people are more inclined to try it," said a 19-year-old Temple University freshman and e-cigarette user, who requested anonymity along with all other respondents.   Some teenagers choose to use e-cigarettes, a behavior commonly referred to as vaping, because the devices utilize water vapor instead of smoke, as they believe they are healthier than traditional cigarettes.   "Vaping is a better, healthier way to consume nicotine than smoking cigarettes. I rarely feel vape smoke in my lungs, while cigarettes and hookah burn a little," said a freshman at Temple University, a Conwell-Egan Catholic graduate, in an interview last Sunday.   Despite the common belief that e-cigarettes contain no dangerous chemicals found in traditional tobacco products, components of antifreeze have been found in two leading e-cigarette brands and 18 different cartridges, according to a 2009 FDA study. Formaldehyde, diacetyl, and of course, nicotine are also frequently found in e-cigarettes.   Other teenagers use e-cigarettes because they believe vaping can help them curb personal nicotine addiction, or because they think vaping and the culture surrounding it is cool.   "Many of my friends and family use it to quit smoking, but I believe the second biggest reason is that teenagers just think it’s cool," said a sophomore from Neshaminy who vapes, in an interview last week.   Despite the FDA ruling on August 8 that e-cigarettes may no longer be sold to minors, teenagers can still purchase vape products online or have older friends buy them for them.   A senior from Neshaminy and vape user believes this ruling will not affect youth e-cigarette use.   "Most of the people selling (e-cigarettes) don’t really care about the age of the people they’re selling to," said the 17-year-old in an interview last week. He reported that he switched to vaping "because cigarettes went up a dollar about two months ago," after years of smoking traditional cigarettes.   "I believe vapes are targeting young people because young people are always on the go, they’re always doing something, they can’t stop for 5 to 7 minutes to smoke and keep going. But with a vape, someone can just puff a few times almost anywhere," said a 16-year-old e-cigarette user and middle school student from Conwell-Egan Catholic in an interview last Sunday.   Teenagers report seeing little significant change in their lives as a result of their e-cigarette habits, despite the monetary cost.   "Well, everyone wants to roast your stones, and crack jokes about who vapes, but it really hasn’t changed my life. If anything, it’s made it easier because I can vape in my house or car. I can’t smoke there," said a Conwell-Egan middle school student.   "My brother and some of his friends habitually call me the 'vape king,' which seems to be the only downside I’ve experienced," said the Temple freshman. "I find myself spending money on vape gear, but the amount of money doesn’t affect me majorly."   A junior from Neshaminy is seeing more significant changes in his spending habits with his e-cigarette use.   "I spent $15 on vape juice this weekend, which should last me about two weeks, and I have to buy new coils for the tank, which is about $10 for five coils, and should last me a month if not less," said the 17-year-old e-cigarette user in an interview last Sunday. "It’s almost the same as buying weed. I know my parents wouldn’t agree, so I know I have to be discreet. I don’t do it around most of my family."   The CDC shows that male teenagers are 10% more likely to use tobacco products than their female peers and 6.2% more likely to use e-cigarettes. The study also found that when teenagers have low academic performance, low socioeconomic status, and low self-esteem, combined with low prices for tobacco products in their area, they are more likely to use them. The CDC also found that teenagers turn to regular tobacco use as a result of depression, often not due to stress and anxiety.   Among the respondents to this piece, two started using e-cigarettes to quit traditional cigarettes, while others began using them to save money, one because they found them easier to start using than traditional tobacco products, and one because they chose to start from a friend's habit.   E-cigarette cartridges vary in nicotine concentration, making them appealing to those who wish to reduce their use of such products. "I haven’t touched a cigarette in almost eight months, I don’t use nicotine regularly," said a 15-year-old sophomore from Neshaminy.   Despite the evidence above, skepticism remains that the rise in vape use among American teenagers is merely a trend that will eventually die out, whether or not it is due to the weight of a user.  

"When vapes and e-cigarettes lose popularity, the former will move on to another, easier form of nicotine smoking," said the Temple freshman.  #p#分页标题#e#