Perusing the online market, the options are endless. With flavors ranging from the nostalgia-inducing Peanut Butter Jelly time to the more mature Barista’s Blend, there seems to be an e-juice flavor for every preference. However, purchasing these nicotine-containing flavors is a lot more dangerous than risking $20 on a potentially disgusting flavor.

Lured in by these flavors, teens can gain hold of vapes through online shops, easily bypassing the age verification system. Manufacturers and teens do not take vaping risks seriously enough for underage users.  Teens also often underestimate the risks of vaping, overlooking the facts about the dangers of nicotine and other risk factors that come with vaping.

Teens often take up vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. While vaping may be healthier than smoking, it is by no means harmless. Vaping has been linked to gum disease, lowered immunity and bloody sores in the mouth and throat, according to Science News. Many e-juices contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. Studies have shown that it is even more addictive than cocaine or heroin, according to the CDC. Different e-juices have different levels of nicotine, but pods for JUULs, a popular brand of vape pen, contain more nicotine in a single pod than in a whole packet of cigarettes, according to their website. This leads to teenagers becoming addicted to nicotine and their vapes, with detrimental health consequences. Due to the increased changes in the adolescent brain, they are more susceptible to nicotine addiction than adults, according to the National Institute of Health. Teenagers who regularly vape are also more likely than non-vaping teens to start smoking cigarettes according to a study by the University of California, San Francisco.

Whether they intend to or not, manufacturers directly market to teenagers by selling enticing flavors. San Francisco, CA banned the sale of flavored tobacco products, including vapes, in June 2017, set to become effective in April. The legislation is an attempt to deter youths from creating a tobacco habit, via cigarettes or with vape products. This is beneficial because ridding the vapes of the flavor will reduce the allure that vapes offer to teenagers. Stopping teenagers before they start vaping is the best way to ensure their continued health and the continuing decrease in teenage cigarette use. Manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration have a responsibility to protect teenagers from the harmful effects of vaping products.

Many teenagers gain access to vapes through the internet from the many online marketplaces. While the FDA has regulations to prevent underage customers from completing a purchase, these regulations are not nearly rigorous enough. Age verification systems and requiring an adult to sign for the package are mandated; however, these measures are rarely successful. Teenagers can easily steal their parent’s information to trick the age verification systems and the adult signature is often forgotten or ignored. This easy access completely defeats the purpose of age restrictions. Manufacturers need to put greed aside and create fool-proof age verification systems or stop selling vapes altogether online. The profits of a company should never be put above the health of the society. The vaping industry needs to realize this and eliminate their trade practices such as online sales and teenage-focused flavors.

In order to combat the risks of vaping for teenagers, the FDA should increase their regulations on e-cigarettes and other non-smoking nicotine delivery devices. Banning online sales or mandating and enforcing accurate dual-check age verification will greatly reduce the number of teenagers who have access to these vapes. A wide-reaching flavor ban should also be considered to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to teenagers. Finally, education about the risks factors of vaping needs to reach teenagers and middle schoolers. Many users just view vaping as a safe, healthy alternative to smoking and disregard the risks. Manufacturers need to take responsibility for the safety of all who use their products and take measures to prevent teenagers from befalling to the dangers of vaping.

This editorial reflects the views of the Le Journal staff. 27 out of 27 staff members voted in favor of this editorial.