So far I have been looking at the magnitude of the vaping epidemic, whether it be looking at it on a local level or a national level. And what I've found has cemented the idea that vaping is an incredibly large problem no matter where you look. It is important now to look at why this is such a prominent issue, as there has to be a reason for the explosion in popularity of vaping products. In fact, there are three main reasons (the marketing of vape companies, teenage behavior, and the properties of vape products) why vaping is as big of a problem as it currently is.
Let's first discuss how vaping companies market to teens and how that contributes to the current epidemic of vaping. While vaping companies do not explicitly advertise to children and teenagers, they target them through the flavoring of their vape products. Vape companies typically advertise “fun” candy-flavored e-cigarettes that attract kids, just as flavored cigarettes did. In the past, in order to broaden their usage, cigarette companies decided to advertise "flavored" cigarettes, something vape companies have decided to employ with raging success. The huge variety of "fun" flavors available contributes to the vast amount of kids getting hooked every single day, as they make vaping seem like a "fun" activity, rather than a dangerous activity involving an incredibly addictive substance.
Beyond this, vaping companies using "fun" flavors also serves one other purpose. It distracts from the harmful effects of vaping. Because labels often misrepresent nicotine levels in the devices, kids who think they’re vaping only flavors are typically inhaling nicotine. Not only do these flavors change the tone of vaping, from serious to lighthearted, they also blatantly misrepresent the harms of vaping, often not portraying the full extent of harm that these devices could cause to a person. By not accurately showing the true levels of nicotine in these devices, kids are not able to see the true risk of vaping, which could make them do something they ordinarily would not do.
Another aspect of vaping companies' advertising worth taking note is the fact that vape companies often sponsor youth oriented events. While these companies are not legally permitted to directly advertise to teens at these events, many e-cigarette companies now promote their products by sponsoring sporting, musical and other events that appeal to teens. In addition, these companies sometimes give away free vaping products. Thus, these companies are able to effectively advertise to their largest user base and expose those who wouldn't typically be familiar with vape products to their brand. And by handing out free vape products, these companies are able to hook large amounts of kids with little effort. Even though they may lose money in the short term, they more than make up for it in the long term as many of those kids end up purchasing more and more vape products to fuel their addiction.
These companies also portray vaping as incredibly hip and modern. Just check out the KandyPens (a vape company) website and how it explodes with images of young models and rappers. This method of advertising that companies encourages teens to vape by portraying it as a enjoyable and cool activity, and relies on teens' desire to feel "cool."
The final way vaping companies market is by portraying themselves as a having a benevolent goal. In fact, Juul's stated mission is "improving the lives of the one billion adult smokers." This appeals and convinces many teens to try vaping, as they believe it isn't as harmful as smoking, which ends puts vaping in a positive light, even though it is still has many short and long term harms.
The next main reason students are encouraged to vape is due to the developing nature of the teenage brain. During the teenage years, the area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is developing. This part of the brain is associated with decision making and risk evaluation. As a result of this, teenagers, as many know, don't make the best decisions and often take far more risks than necessary. In fact, as a child evolves into a teenager, the brain becomes able to synthesize information into ideas. Teens want to exercise their new skill -- and they tend to practice on their parents. This "practice" tends to materialize in constant rebellion and stubbornness, as teens tend to think that they are correct in their line of thinking, regardless of what it may be.
But how does this aspect of adolescence relate to vaping? As previously stated, teens are, by nature, risk takers. This inclination towards the unknown may push teens to vape, as it is an outlet for that rebellious feeling. As explained by a student hooked on nicotine, “It’s our demon. It’s the one risky thing that you can do in your life — with little consequence, in their mind — to show that you’re a little bit of a rebel.” The fact that vaping carries low consequence coupled with teen inclination towards rebelliousness has resulted in many students using vaping as a way to rebel against the system, which has contributed to the magnitude of the vaping epidemic. In fact, a 2007 survey of 1,687 middle schoolers by Hye-Jin Paek at the University of Georgia and Albert Gunther at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that adolescent tend to have inclinations toward rebelliousness and smoking and vaping serves as a symbol of that rebelliousness. This has another possible implication. It could mean that current efforts urging teens to not vape may be a step in the wrong direction, as these efforts may just incentivize students to vape even more, because teens may be further encouraged to vape in order to rebel against rules placed on them.
Another aspect of the teenage brain that may contribute to the nationwide vaping epidemic is that, despite the fact that teens are rebellious against authority, they also want to conform and fit in with their peers. Teenagers just want to be accepted. They fear rejection, leading them to partake in risky behavior if it means fitting in. This desire for conformity may also explain why many teens choose to vape. They see their peers vaping, and due to their desire to be accepted, they choose to partake.
The final big reason that students decide to vape is due to the characteristics of the vaping devices themselves. Now there are many characteristics that contribute to the explosion of vaping, which I will go through individually on this post. The first, and arguably the most important characteristic, is the sleek concealability and low maintenance of vaping products. Vaping devices are very lightweight and portable, super easy to charge and refill, and low-maintenance, as well as incredibly discreet. Students can essentially vape anywhere without drawing much attention, due to how small the devices can be. Students can also hide the products in areas such as bras and underwear, making it very hard to punish. The overall takeaway from all of these characteristics is that vaping is very easy to hide, incentivizing students to do it, because the chance that they'll actually get caught is very low.
Another aspect of vaping's concealability that is incredibly important is the fact that unlike cigarettes, vaping devices typically do not have a strong odor. The vapor of these devices doesn't have the nasty smell of cigarettes, and can emit a subtle whiff of fruit or other flavors when users vape. This is incredibly important, as it allows students to vape in class with no problem. Doing the same with cigarettes would be very difficult, as the smell is very noticeable and distinct. Vaping products allow students to bypass this, due to their subtle smell and variety of flavors, and vape in crowded or professional areas with low chance of getting caught.
When examining addiction among students, cost is incredibly important, as students simply do not have hundreds of dollars a month to satisfy an addiction. Luckily (or unluckily), this is not a problem when it comes to vaping products. Juul's "starter kit" the e-cigarette, USB charger, and four flavor pods, sells for about $50. Once a student has the entire starter kit, the only components he/she needs to replace consistently are the pods, which cost around $15-$30 a week. This low maintenance cost is critical for students, as the cost barrier is so low for these products that now, almost anyone can afford nicotine addiction.
The last characteristic of vaping products to take note of is how "newbie friendly" these products are. Traditional methods of nicotine delivery, like smoking, are not easy to do the first time, and often leave the user in a state of uncontrollable coughing. Vape products, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. For context, the way vape products, such as "Juul," deliver nicotine through the evaporation of an e-liquid (which I will discuss in my next post) containing "nicotine salts." These nicotine salts are absorbed into the body at almost the same speed as nicotine in regular cigarettes, a speed that comes from the use of freebase nicotine. But unlike the freebase nicotine in regular cigarettes, which can be very irritating, nicotine salt goes down smoothly and doesn’t cause the unpleasant feeling in the chest and lungs that cigarette smoke does. Essentially, with "Juul," vapers can get the same nicotine effect without the pesky irritation. This is incredibly important when discussing addiction, as that "pesky irritation" and uncontrollable coughing that users may experience when smoking is a very large deterrent and stops many users from experimenting further. Vaping products, however, remove this deterrent, making addiction that much easier.
While there are probably countless reasons for the recent vaping epidemic, the three that I have found seem to hit upon the main reasons students decide to take up vaping. Whether it be how vaping companies market, the properties of the teenage brain, or the characteristics of vaping products themselves, it seems like every student who vapes has a reason as to why they started.
TL;DR Vaping is a massive issue in America today for a few reasons. First, the way that companies market (fun flavors, advertising at teen events, etc.) encourages students to vape. Secondly, the cognitive development occurring during teenage years encourages students to resist authority and conform with peers, both of which can be achieved through vaping. Third, the actual characteristics of vape products encourage students to vape. These include concealability, a benevolent message, low price, high addictivity, and smooth usage when compared to cigarettes.
-AB
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Gross, Liza. “Vaping Companies Are Using the Same Old Tricks as Big Tobacco.” The Verge, The Verge, 16 Nov. 2017, www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16658358/vape-lobby-vaping-health-risks-nicotine-big-tobacco-marketing.
Raloff, Janet. “E-Cigarette Makers Focus on Teens.” Science News for Students, Science News for Students, 12 July 2016, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/e-cigarette-makers-focus-teens.
Belluz, Julia. “Juul, the Vape Device Teens Are Getting Hooked on, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 1 May 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/5/1/17286638/juul-vaping-e-cigarette.
Davis, Jeanie Lerche. “Teenagers: Why Do They Rebel?” WebMD, WebMD, 11 Aug. 2001, www.webmd.com/parenting/features/teenagers-why-do-they-rebel#1.
Zernike, Kate. “'I Can't Stop': Schools Struggle With Vaping Explosion.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/health/vaping-ecigarettes-addiction-teen.html.
Wheeling, Kate. “Rebellious Teens and Their E-Cigarettes.” Pacific Standard, Pacific Standard, 30 Jan. 2015, psmag.com/social-justice/advertising-dollars-wont-stop-kids-from-smoking.
Herbert, Wray. “The Perils of Adolescence.” Association for Psychological Science, Association for Psychological Science, 27 Feb. 2015, www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/the-perils-of-adolescence.html.
Let's first discuss how vaping companies market to teens and how that contributes to the current epidemic of vaping. While vaping companies do not explicitly advertise to children and teenagers, they target them through the flavoring of their vape products. Vape companies typically advertise “fun” candy-flavored e-cigarettes that attract kids, just as flavored cigarettes did. In the past, in order to broaden their usage, cigarette companies decided to advertise "flavored" cigarettes, something vape companies have decided to employ with raging success. The huge variety of "fun" flavors available contributes to the vast amount of kids getting hooked every single day, as they make vaping seem like a "fun" activity, rather than a dangerous activity involving an incredibly addictive substance.
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| Vape products typically come with many different flavored "e-liquids," as shown above. |
Another aspect of vaping companies' advertising worth taking note is the fact that vape companies often sponsor youth oriented events. While these companies are not legally permitted to directly advertise to teens at these events, many e-cigarette companies now promote their products by sponsoring sporting, musical and other events that appeal to teens. In addition, these companies sometimes give away free vaping products. Thus, these companies are able to effectively advertise to their largest user base and expose those who wouldn't typically be familiar with vape products to their brand. And by handing out free vape products, these companies are able to hook large amounts of kids with little effort. Even though they may lose money in the short term, they more than make up for it in the long term as many of those kids end up purchasing more and more vape products to fuel their addiction.
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| In addition to sponsoring youth oriented events, many vape companies advertise through large vaping conventions held in busy public spaces. One such event, the Vaping Convention Circuit, is shown above. |
The final way vaping companies market is by portraying themselves as a having a benevolent goal. In fact, Juul's stated mission is "improving the lives of the one billion adult smokers." This appeals and convinces many teens to try vaping, as they believe it isn't as harmful as smoking, which ends puts vaping in a positive light, even though it is still has many short and long term harms.
 |
| As shown, "Juul" attempts to portray its product inpositive light by claiming that they are trying to help the lives of adult smokers, when in reality, their goal is to addict as many people as possible to their product. |
The next main reason students are encouraged to vape is due to the developing nature of the teenage brain. During the teenage years, the area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is developing. This part of the brain is associated with decision making and risk evaluation. As a result of this, teenagers, as many know, don't make the best decisions and often take far more risks than necessary. In fact, as a child evolves into a teenager, the brain becomes able to synthesize information into ideas. Teens want to exercise their new skill -- and they tend to practice on their parents. This "practice" tends to materialize in constant rebellion and stubbornness, as teens tend to think that they are correct in their line of thinking, regardless of what it may be.
 |
| The prefrontal cortex (shown in red) is the part of the brain associated with decision making, and is developing in teenagers, causing them to partake in risky behavior such as drug use. |
Another aspect of the teenage brain that may contribute to the nationwide vaping epidemic is that, despite the fact that teens are rebellious against authority, they also want to conform and fit in with their peers. Teenagers just want to be accepted. They fear rejection, leading them to partake in risky behavior if it means fitting in. This desire for conformity may also explain why many teens choose to vape. They see their peers vaping, and due to their desire to be accepted, they choose to partake.
 |
| As shown above, there are two main reasons why teens try vaping for the first time. (In orange) 31.3% of respondents (20 respondents) just wanted to try something new, indicating a desire for risk taking. (In blue) 35.9% of respondents (23 respondents) decided to try vaping because their friends do it, indicating a desire for conformity. |
The final big reason that students decide to vape is due to the characteristics of the vaping devices themselves. Now there are many characteristics that contribute to the explosion of vaping, which I will go through individually on this post. The first, and arguably the most important characteristic, is the sleek concealability and low maintenance of vaping products. Vaping devices are very lightweight and portable, super easy to charge and refill, and low-maintenance, as well as incredibly discreet. Students can essentially vape anywhere without drawing much attention, due to how small the devices can be. Students can also hide the products in areas such as bras and underwear, making it very hard to punish. The overall takeaway from all of these characteristics is that vaping is very easy to hide, incentivizing students to do it, because the chance that they'll actually get caught is very low.
 |
| As shown, one such vaping product, "Juul," is incredibly concealable, only being as large as a flash drive. This has contributed to the fact that Juul is now the most widely used vaping product in the market. |
Another aspect of vaping's concealability that is incredibly important is the fact that unlike cigarettes, vaping devices typically do not have a strong odor. The vapor of these devices doesn't have the nasty smell of cigarettes, and can emit a subtle whiff of fruit or other flavors when users vape. This is incredibly important, as it allows students to vape in class with no problem. Doing the same with cigarettes would be very difficult, as the smell is very noticeable and distinct. Vaping products allow students to bypass this, due to their subtle smell and variety of flavors, and vape in crowded or professional areas with low chance of getting caught.
When examining addiction among students, cost is incredibly important, as students simply do not have hundreds of dollars a month to satisfy an addiction. Luckily (or unluckily), this is not a problem when it comes to vaping products. Juul's "starter kit" the e-cigarette, USB charger, and four flavor pods, sells for about $50. Once a student has the entire starter kit, the only components he/she needs to replace consistently are the pods, which cost around $15-$30 a week. This low maintenance cost is critical for students, as the cost barrier is so low for these products that now, almost anyone can afford nicotine addiction.
 |
| As shown, 63.3% of students who vape (38 respondents) spend $0-$20 a month on vaping, highlighting how affordable vaping is. Another 20% (12 respondents) spend $20-$50 per month on vaping, again showing how the costs consistently vaping are downright minuscule when compared to other drugs such as marijuana or cocaine. |
The last characteristic of vaping products to take note of is how "newbie friendly" these products are. Traditional methods of nicotine delivery, like smoking, are not easy to do the first time, and often leave the user in a state of uncontrollable coughing. Vape products, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. For context, the way vape products, such as "Juul," deliver nicotine through the evaporation of an e-liquid (which I will discuss in my next post) containing "nicotine salts." These nicotine salts are absorbed into the body at almost the same speed as nicotine in regular cigarettes, a speed that comes from the use of freebase nicotine. But unlike the freebase nicotine in regular cigarettes, which can be very irritating, nicotine salt goes down smoothly and doesn’t cause the unpleasant feeling in the chest and lungs that cigarette smoke does. Essentially, with "Juul," vapers can get the same nicotine effect without the pesky irritation. This is incredibly important when discussing addiction, as that "pesky irritation" and uncontrollable coughing that users may experience when smoking is a very large deterrent and stops many users from experimenting further. Vaping products, however, remove this deterrent, making addiction that much easier.
While there are probably countless reasons for the recent vaping epidemic, the three that I have found seem to hit upon the main reasons students decide to take up vaping. Whether it be how vaping companies market, the properties of the teenage brain, or the characteristics of vaping products themselves, it seems like every student who vapes has a reason as to why they started.
TL;DR Vaping is a massive issue in America today for a few reasons. First, the way that companies market (fun flavors, advertising at teen events, etc.) encourages students to vape. Secondly, the cognitive development occurring during teenage years encourages students to resist authority and conform with peers, both of which can be achieved through vaping. Third, the actual characteristics of vape products encourage students to vape. These include concealability, a benevolent message, low price, high addictivity, and smooth usage when compared to cigarettes.
-AB
______________________________________________________
Gross, Liza. “Vaping Companies Are Using the Same Old Tricks as Big Tobacco.” The Verge, The Verge, 16 Nov. 2017, www.theverge.com/2017/11/16/16658358/vape-lobby-vaping-health-risks-nicotine-big-tobacco-marketing.
Raloff, Janet. “E-Cigarette Makers Focus on Teens.” Science News for Students, Science News for Students, 12 July 2016, www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/e-cigarette-makers-focus-teens.
Belluz, Julia. “Juul, the Vape Device Teens Are Getting Hooked on, Explained.” Vox, Vox, 1 May 2018, www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/5/1/17286638/juul-vaping-e-cigarette.
Davis, Jeanie Lerche. “Teenagers: Why Do They Rebel?” WebMD, WebMD, 11 Aug. 2001, www.webmd.com/parenting/features/teenagers-why-do-they-rebel#1.
Zernike, Kate. “'I Can't Stop': Schools Struggle With Vaping Explosion.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Apr. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/04/02/health/vaping-ecigarettes-addiction-teen.html.
Wheeling, Kate. “Rebellious Teens and Their E-Cigarettes.” Pacific Standard, Pacific Standard, 30 Jan. 2015, psmag.com/social-justice/advertising-dollars-wont-stop-kids-from-smoking.
Herbert, Wray. “The Perils of Adolescence.” Association for Psychological Science, Association for Psychological Science, 27 Feb. 2015, www.psychologicalscience.org/news/were-only-human/the-perils-of-adolescence.html.
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