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Government and companies fight against teen vaping

Vaping is an issue affecting teens worldwide. Everyday, new discoveries are being made about what these devices can cause. Although the dangers vaping can cause are still widely unknown, there is a seeked understanding it’s unhealthy.

Currently there have been around 1,080 lung injury cases from 46 states in the U.S. caused by vaping. There have also been 18 deaths confirmed in 15 of these states.

For teens vaping can cause damage to the developing brains, nicotine addiction and the vapes can contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful for teen’s lungs.

Although the effects of vaping might not show up immediately, the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, advises young adults, youth, pregnant women or adults who do not currently use tobacco products to not use e-cigarettes. The American Lung Association also warned that "e-cigarettes are not safe" and can cause irreversible lung damage and disease.

Many companies and the government are trying to find ways to prevent underage vaping.

Patrice Harris, The President of the American Medical Association, said, "We must not stand by while e-cigarettes continue to go unregulated. We urge the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to speed up the regulation of e-cigarettes and remove all unregulated products from the market." She continued, "We also call on the FDA to immediately ban flavors, as well as marketing practices, that enhance the appeal of e-cigarette products to youth."

So far, the only action taken by the US Food and Drug Administration, the FDA, to prevent Juuling was by issuing a warning letter to JUUL Labs Inc.

The Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D said, “Regardless of where products like e-cigarettes fall on the continuum of tobacco product risk, the law is clear that, before marketing tobacco products for reduced risk, companies must demonstrate with scientific evidence that their specific product does in fact pose less risk or is less harmful. JUUL has ignored the law, and very concerningly, has made some of these statements in school to our nation’s youth.”

The Trump Administration has also taken actions to help prevent underage vaping. No single device, ingredient or additive has been identified, so President Donald Trump says his administration will propose banning thousands of flavors used in e-cigarettes. Flavors such as mango, are very popular amongst teens.

Along with all of these big corporations, schools are also taking actions to prevent the use of vapes.

Central York High School continuously address this issue “In health class, at grade level meetings, vaping is one that is specifically addressed, and when we have meetings with kids when they are caught vaping,” said Central York High School Principal Ryan Caufman.

If students are caught vaping, they will get sent to the office and have the vape confiscated, get a call home about vaping, and they have to serve three of in-school suspension, ISS, for their offense. If this continues to occur they may also have to serve out of school suspension.

Although many corporations, schools and even the Trump Administration are trying to help prevent underage vaping, and even vaping in general, they have not been successful so far. This epidemic spreading across the US is something many people believe you shouldn’t take lightly, so when you are faced with a vaping device, make the healthy choice.

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