BROADCAST WRITING

Vaping Wrap

CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG AMERICAN YOUTH IS AT AN ALL TIME LOW. HOWEVER, THE USE OF E-CIGS, AND VAPING TECHNOLOGY HAS SKYROCKETED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. ALTHOUGH THESE PORTABLE AND NON SMELLING DEVICES CONTAIN NICOTINE, MANY YOUNG PEOPLE MISTAKENLY BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE NO HEALTH RISKS.  FOR MANY, VAPING IS A WAY FOR THEM TO EASE OFF OF THEIR NICOTINE ADDICTION AND IS A SAFER WAY OF SMOKING. HOWEVER, STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE A SHORT TERM CESSATION AID, IT IS AN INEFFECTIVE LONG TERM STRATEGY. THE EASY TO USE AND DISCRETE E-CIG MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR PARENTS, AND EDUCATORS TO REALIZE WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT UNDER THEIR NOSES. THAT MEANS, NICOTINE USE WITHIN AN ELECTRONIC SYSTEM MAKES IT EASIER FOR KIDS TO START EARLIER IN LIFE, LEAVING THEM MORE AT RISK TO SHOW EARLY ADDICTION SIGNS. CONNOR FRANCIS, JUUL USER, STARTED USING A JUUL THIS PAST DECEMBER, BUT NEVER HAD AN ISSUE WITH NICOTINE BEFORE HAND. 

(Actuality 1)

After a long day of classes, I hit it in my room every so often... it kind of gives you a little bit of a rush to your head, and helps you forget things. I use it more in a group setting than I do alone, I am not sure why. I bought a juul because I wanted to try something new I guess, but I do not have any feeling of addiction at the moment… I could just throw it away. I don’t see a need to stop, I don’t think the nicotine is hurting me at all. I think it’s a big waste of money- I go through one or two pods a week. None of my family members know- they’d be very upset- they don’t understand… I guess I don’t either… I just do it for the fun of it. 

JUUL CULTURE IS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY PRESENT ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ONE ANOTHER FOR A “HIT” WHEN AT PARTIES, OR AT SCHOOL IN A STRESSFUL ENVIRONMENT AND ARE IN NEED OF A BUZZ. THE “FUN” OF USING A VAPE OR A JUUL IS A COMMON PRACTICE OF YOUNG PEOPLE, BUT FOR OTHERS, IT’S A COPING MECHANISM FOR THEIR ADDICTION TO NICOTINE THAT CAME FROM THEIR PAST USE OF CIGARETTES. PAST CIGARETTE SMOKER, JACOB PERCY, TALKS MORE ON THIS. 

(Actuality 2)

I was totally reliant on cigs. I started with the huge box vapes, and I switched to the juul or salt vape stuff about a year ago- it’s nice not having to smell like a pack of cigarettes all of the time. It feels a lot better- a lot less harsh on your lungs, and you don’t feel as bad afterwards. The statistic that one juul pod is equivalent to twenty cigarettes is technically true, but nicotine is the most dangerous thing in a juul. It doesn’t have the jet fuel, the rat poison, the tar. The nicotine gets you kind of high, that’s why so many people do it, it’s the first high a lot of kids ever get. I am actually in the process of trying to quit nicotine right now… it’s horrible. I don’t want to stop. There’s almost two types of nicotine addiction. With cigarettes you have to wait a few hours for the effects to hit, but with juuls you have the constant satisfaction, and it’s so discrete. There are a lot of withdrawal symptoms from nicotine, like I get very shaky if I don’t have any for 12 hours or more. I get really aggressive with people without trying to. But It also helps me a lot with stress. I have a sourin which is a different type of salt vape. *Hits vape* I don’t think the flavors are really going to do anything, if people want nicotine it won’t matter. If it wasn’t a juul, it would have been something else. 

QUITTING IS SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY NOT POSSIBLE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND THE YOUNGER YOU ARE WHEN YOU START, THE HARDER IT IS IN THE FUTURE TO STOP. WITH VAPES IT IS VERY EASY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO SAY THAT THEY WILL NOT BECOME ADDICTED, AND THAT THEY ARE BETTER FOR YOU THAN CIGARETTES. HOWEVER, AMERICA’S YOUTH IS FALLING INTO A TRAP THAT IS HARDER TO GET OUT OF THAN MANY PEOPLE THINK.

WRAP END

REPORTING FROM CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE, THIS IS QUINN KERRY