America was once so proud to have beaten the nicotine pandemic, yet now it has returned in staggering numbers. Teens have become hooked on e-cigarettes, vapes and Juuls, and the effects have been devastating.

According to the Center for Disease Control “Smoking is a major cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease] and causes one of every four deaths from CVD.”    

Additionally, teens smoking around friends can result in illness due to second-hand smoke because “breathing secondhand smoke can cause coronary heart disease, including heart attack and stroke” (CDC).

The CDC has also reported that 450 teens from 33 different U.S.states have been diagnosed with pneumonia due to vaping. Many teenagers are under the false impression that vaping is less dangerous than smoking cigarettes, regardless of the fact that both products contain extremely addictive nicotine.

The Center for Disease Control is a highly reliable source, and their facts clearly show that vaping is detrimental to the health of not only the user, but also the surrounding public who inhale second hand smoke. 

The rise of vaping and electronic cigarettes with teenagers, followed by the rise in cases of teenage pneumonia, is a widespread public safety hazard. To combat this, companies have been posting facts about nicotine use and its dangers on popular platforms such as Instagram; however, this still doesn’t seem to be doing enough.

Since these nicotine devices are still relatively new to the market, the long term effects are still unknown. For the safety of oneself and others, avoiding any form of electronic cigarette usage is the best way to go. Ditching vapes could be saving lives.