It is hard to disagree that almost everyone from children to aged people is aware of the danger and harm that smoking cigarettes do to people. Those who cannot give up because they have become slaves of nicotine or this habit itself try to find any possible ways to stop causing so much harm to their health and replace cigarettes with something else. This may be a nicotine gum or patch, regular sweets, breadsticks – in other words, practically or completely harmless substitutions for smoking.
However, there are people who decide to switch from normal cigarettes to electronic ones and start vaping instead of smoking. One of the reasons why thousands of people, including teenagers, start using e-cigarettes is that it is believed that they are less harmful to their own and others’ health, and this is a serious problem. I firmly believe that vaping in schools and colleges should be strictly prohibited. Also, I propose introducing several penalties for any violation of this rule, and teachers should disseminate information about the real harm of vaping.
Unfortunately, despite all dangers of vaping, it has become a rather addictive and irresistible part of many college students’ life. They enjoy that they are able to vape unrestrained by parental rules, fit in with their e-cigarette-smoking peers, while and reducing stress and keeping anxiety under control. They do not need to go outside to smoke, there is no tobacco smell around them, and not need to carry a lighter with them all the time. Some students even note that vaping helped them to lose weight and increase their self-esteem (Levin). However, even with the positive aspects of vaping, some adverse consequences also appear.
The problem of students vaping at schools and in colleges become more severe with every passing month. According to some statistics, “the number of college students vaping regularly also increased by ten percentage points between 2017 and 2018” (Pesce). Moreover, “school officials, struggling to control an explosion of vaping among high school and middle school students across the country, fear that the devices are creating a new generation of nicotine addicts” (Sharfstein). These numbers and officials’ concerns demonstrate the tremendous seriousness of this issue and prove that it must be solved as soon as possible.
To begin with, all schools and colleges should start smoking- and vaping-free policies and declare all types of cigarettes, even electronic ones, prohibited. As there are students who would not want to violate any rules, they would stop vaping at least in colleges and on campuses, which will lead to reducing the number of times they vape during a day. For those who break this rule, there should be penalties such as the cleaning of the college building or campus, attending college events dedicated to the problem of vaping, and suspension. Moreover, monetary fines that are equal to the cost of one vape refill should become legal and be levied on violators.
The next step in reducing the number of vapers in colleges should be organizing college-sponsored vaping prevention campaigns and events and providing the students with all the necessary information about the danger of e-cigarettes. As was mentioned above, for those students who break the rule of colleges being vaping-free, it should be necessary to attend such events. Also, I believe it would be of much help to tell the stories and show the photos of those people who used to vape and suffered because of that, as it is easier to believe what you see than what you just hear.
Undoubtedly, people are of many minds on this issue, and I admit that there may be some objections to my proposal. Though there is an opinion that words alone cannot help and can hardly change someone’s mind, at least some of the students will start thinking about all the severe consequences of vaping and consider giving up this bad habit. Also, nowadays, there is a great deal of research, articles, and statistics on the harm that electronic cigarettes bring.
Moreover, according to Kaplan, “graphic warnings in cigarette advertisements reduce the appeal of cigarette brands among youth,” and forty percent of them are “more likely to consider quitting after exposure to the graphic images.” These statements are about normal cigarettes, but they prove that terrifying and truthful photos have a rather strong psychological impact on both smoking and vaping people.
Some other suggestions may help to improve the situation of vaping students. One of them is to “adopt a firm school policy of not accepting any funding, curricula or other materials from any tobacco” and vape company (Bach). It may be helpful only if the advertisement of such a sponsoring company appears in colleges. If not, then, in my opinion, this is a rather pointless strategy as students are not usually affected by the habits of college donors.
At the same time, any images of vapers or smokers and any mentioning of cigarettes should be excluded from campus and college territory. There is much promotion of this bad habit in television, in video games, and in outdoor advertising, so colleges must be free of that.
To conclude, one may say that the issue of students vaping in colleges is indeed a severe one, and, as the number of such students is growing, the proper solution has to be found immediately. As was mentioned above, I suggest prohibiting vaping in colleges and on campuses, organizing anti-vaping events and lectures, and introducing penalties for violators. Also, making colleges zones that are free of any kind of cigarette mentions should be a helpful strategy.
Works Cited
Bach, Laura. How Schools Can Help Students Stay Tobacco-Free. 2019. Web.
Kaplan, Sheila. “The F.D.A.’s New Cigarette Warnings Are Disturbing. See for Yourself.” The New York Times. 2019. Web.
Levin, Dan. “Vaping on Campus: No Parents, No Principals, a Big Problem.” The New York Times. 2019. Web.
Pesce, Nicole Lyn. “These Charts Show the Shocking Number of High School and College Students Who Vape.” Market Watch. 2019. Web.
Sharfstein, Joshua. “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Juul?” The Milbank Quarterly, 2018. Web.