Sophomores Luis Montoya, psychology major (left), and Matias Salvo, physics major (right), use electronic cigarettes in front of the Graham Center. Photo by Diego Saldana-Rojas.
Lauren Bana/Staff Writer
E-cigarettes, Viper Vapes, Vapor Sharks and the like might give off the appealing impression of being able to relinquish the desire to smoke cigarettes, but, from personal experience, it happens to accomplish quite the opposite.
As a smoker who is in fact trying to quit, I have been using one of these “Viper Vapes” in order to relieve my desire to smoke cigarettes.
It has been moderately helpful in appeasing my craving for cigarettes and has done wonders for my physical presence since I no longer smell like ash.
Other than that, the product really doesn’t seem to expel my cigarette craving.
After reading an article on DigitalTrends.com regarding the U.S. Center for Disease Control’s possible ban of the different flavors of these electronic cigarettes, I felt as though this product is definitely not worth all the hype.
The article says that kids are getting their hands on these products, and are “ruining e-cigarettes for the rest of us.”
I personally don’t feel too offended by the fact that children are, as always, getting their hands on something that they’re too young to have in their possession.
These “vapes” are not only, for the most part, useless for me, but I’ve encountered others who have made the switch and have not achieved their desired results.
The article goes on to say that a recently conducted national survey discovered that “experimentation with e-cigs among middle school– and high school–aged children more than doubled from 2011 to 2012.”
Some critics have said that the thousands of fruity flavored liquids for the vapes are what will entice kids to smoke them, and possibly lead them to smoking actual cigarettes.
Although this is obviously a negative outcome of the vapes, according to Digital Trends, a similar event took place in 2009 when fruity flavored cigarettes were banned after studies showed that kids were smoking them.
I don’t think that the potential ban on the fruity flavored e-cigarette liquids is anything to be worried about, but rather, the possibility that this product could just be an overrated, failing placebo for smokers who are trying to quit.
Even after using this vape for a while, I still have the desire to smoke cigarettes, so I’m left to doubt whether or not this product truly works.
FIU’s ban on cigarettes has really left me with no other choice than to satisfy my cigarette cravings with my vape, and so I am really only forced to use it on campus.
If I could have cigarettes on campus, I really wouldn’t even have a use for it.
lauren.bana@fiusm.com
Source:
1. “Hey kids, stop ruining e-cigarettes for the rest of us,” via Digital Trends
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