As America moves away from God, young people are desperately searching for a substitute for the peace that faith brings. Since they came on the market in 2007, e-cigarettes have created a teen vaping problem. When a person inhales vapor laced with nicotine, the drug is quickly absorbed through the blood vessels and can reach the brain in as little as 10 seconds. This rapid absorption means that addiction comes very quickly.
Roughly 2.8 million young people use tobacco products, according to The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. One in four of those using e-cigarettes say they use them every day. Data on long-term use of e-cigarettes is limited. Young people assume that vaping is safer than cigarettes, but frequently, other toxic chemicals are in the ingredients.
The 2023 Verkada Teen Vaping Survey of 2,650 Americans found that 96% of teenagers who vape view it as a problem, and 61% consider themselves addicted. More than half (54%) of the teens expressed a desire to quit vaping. The Vercada survey also found that 9 out of 10 teachers reported vaping to be disruptive to learning environments. When users who vape don’t have access to nicotine, they become agitated and sometimes belligerent. Anger management becomes an issue. This causes school attendance problems and conflicts with the students’ families. It’s also an issue for the Church as many teens who vape find it hard to participate in teen classes or activities.
Christians must learn about the dangers of nicotine and alcohol. In the New Testament, we find Christ and the apostles warning repeatedly about the dangers of the world, and vaping joins the list of world agents that bring addiction, heartbreak, conflict, and death. Help for teen vaping addiction is available at THIS LINK.
— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: “The Problem Clouding the Classroom” in the NEA Magazine for October 2024, pages 38-41.
