Vaping Tsunami is Gripping Youth of America | Teen Ink

Vaping Tsunami is Gripping Youth of America

October 14, 2019
By rheamendonca77 BRONZE, Staten Island, New York
rheamendonca77 BRONZE, Staten Island, New York
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

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E-cigarettes are robbing our nation of its youth.

 

The death of our 17 year Instagram friend from New York due to vaping has sent shock waves among the youth in USA.

 

We were invited to our best friend 16th birthday in a 5 STAR HOTEL. Suddenly, she became unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital. On medical investigation, it was found that her lungs had collapsed due to vaping JUUL for one year. This was the most heart breaking time for her family and friends. From that day onwards our friend has been in and out of hospital. She confessed that she was not aware that JUUL had nicotine in it. She was enticed to try JUUL after watching the advertisement. “SAVE ROOM FOR TASTY TREATS AND REWARDS” on SOCIAL MEDIA.

 

Besides, to add to our sorrow, on that same fateful day we received the shocking news that our 17 year old friend from BRONX was the youngest teenager to die due to VAPING in USA.

 

We tried advising him several times to give up vaping, but he found it very difficult to fight his addiction. We feel guilty we could not save his life.

 

But, we cannot remain silent anymore and watch our peers and friends die prematurely due to vaping.

 

Vaping companies are making billions of dollars and our youth are paying it with their lives.

 

It could be your your brother, your sister, or your best friend. Wake up AMERICA. Let us save our YOUTH from this evil clutches of VAPING.

 

AMERICANS DO NOT NEED JUUL TO LOOK COOL.

 

On researching, E-cigarette companies we have observed that they have exploited social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to conduct Marketing Campaigns targeted at underage teenagers where middle and high school students live.

 

They have used Social Media Influencers on Instagram to create a SOCIAL MEDIA BUZZ to entice teenagers to VAPING.

 

In their advertisements they have portrayed young people enjoying vaping JUUL.

 

We are high school students. We have noticed 85% of students from Ages 12-17 years are hooked on to flavoured E-Cigarettes. 97% of students use flavoured e-cigarettes as the 1st tobacco product.

 

We are spending sleepless nights as we watch our peers who are not under the legal age vape during school. Our classrooms and schools are transformed into VAPING DENS.

 

When we conducted a survey, we learnt that 90% of middle and high school students admitted that they prefer using JUUL as first choice products because of youth appealing flavours like GUMMY BEARS, COTTON CANDY, MANGO, CRÈME and it is easy to replenish the PODS.

 

Besides they have said it is easy to hide JUUL since it is a sleek device which resembles USB which makes it easy for them to vape without being caught by their parents and teachers.

 

E-cigarette companies are using fruit and dessert flavoured pods to entice and hook underage teenagers to NICOTINE. 55% of content used in advertisements by E-Cigarette Companies are youth appealing such as memes, cartoons ad pop music.

 

Vaping is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. The tentacles of “CHEMICAL PNËUMONIA” is spreading its ugly head like wild fire across USA.

 

Recently a 17 year old teenager who was admitted to ICU was found to have lungs of 70 year old due to VAPING for 1 year.

 

Vaping causes permanent irreversible damage to your lungs.

 

We have written letters to PRESIDENT, DONALD TRUMP, GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK & JUUL Company to urge them to stop E-Cigarettes in USA.

 

We are proud to say that due to our efforts JUUL Company has withdrawn marketing campaigns and flavoured pods targeted towards underage teenagers. Besides New York State was 1st State to ban Flavoured E-Cigarettes. Our President Donald Trump has banned e-cigarettes in USA.

 

We have started WINGS OF HOPE a youth led organisation to help youth addicted to VAPING. Wherein the youth can write a SECRET LETTER and share the trauma they are facing and the help they require. So far we have helped 5,000 youth addicted to vaping.

 

We have conducted SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS to spread awareness of dangers of vaping and urge the youth to give up VAPING.

 

On our 17 birthday which was on October 09, we traded our birthday presents to save lives of youth due to vaping. We asked all our well wishers to donate to our favourite charity St Jude Hospital as our BIRTHDAY GIFT.

 

Vaping Tsunami is gripping our nation and taking our precious youth under it.

 

WE CANNOT WATCH OUR YOUTH GO UP IN VAPOUR.


The author's comments:

My name is Rhea Mendonca a 17 year old teenager from New York.

 

I am CO-FOUNDER  of WINGS OF HOPE a youth led organisation to help youth addicted to VAPING. Wherein the youth can write a SECRET LETTER and share the trauma they are facing and the help they require. So far we have helped 5,000 youth addicted to vaping.

The death of my 17 year old Instagram friend and collapse of my best friend during her sweet 16 Birthday celebration due to VAPING JUUL  has led me to write this article.

 

I cannot bear the loss of another friend, peer or youth to VAPING.

 

I wrote this article to warn the youth about dangers of VAPING.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am Co-Founder of Wings of Hope


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This article has 1 comment.


pavenora said...
on Mar. 4 2021 at 2:41 pm
pavenora, Nyc, New York
0 articles 0 photos 5 comments
Hi,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this article. Vaping has truly become an epidemic, and we must stop big tobacco companies from targeting teenagers and young adults. I work for Parents Against Vaping and e-Cigarettes (PAVe), a national organization that works to educate people about the harms of vaping and e-cigarettes. PAVe also advocates to pass legislation banning these devices and the predatory practices of tobacco advertising.

We would love to speak with you about your experiences and stories about vaping. Do you have some time next week to talk?

Thank you so much for all the work you are doing,

Nora Ripley-Grant
PAVe Advocate