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Reasons behind peer pressure and vaping

Young Joo Jun , , , , , ,

As media shed light on the patients suffering lung damage caused by vaping, concern over e-cigarette consumption has increased. Research published by the British Medical Journal showed a 74 percent increase in youth vaping from 2017 to 2018 in Canada, England and the U.S.

Laura MacDonald, 20, decided to buy a Juul with her friends for fun, and try it out for her first time. She ended up with a strong allergic reaction, a sore throat, and a sinus infection.

“I couldn’t breathe through my nose, it was disgusting. And for some reason I decided to keep using the Juul throughout the day as a joke, and I wish I didn’t do that because I got a sinus infection,” said MacDonald.

Juul pods are known for their vast options of flavors. Many argue Juul encourages younger users for its financial benefit.

Heated debates over smoking versus vaping resurfaced. Some Juul users argued this was a strategy implemented by the cigarette industry to push out the competition. Josh Niyonkuru, 21, student at the University of New Brunswick, started vaping because of peer pressure. All of his friends were vaping and he liked the flavored pods.

“Apparently kids are dying of it, or something like that. I think that’s more of people who go through a lot of pods a day. Which I don’t do,” said Niyonkuru.

During one of the hearings at the legislative assembly, Prince Edward Island MLA Cory Deagle said, “It’s an epidemic.” He suggests raising the vaping age to 21, or banning the products completely.

MacDonald stopped vaping after her allergic reaction, but Niyonkuru isn’t persuaded by the medical cases that have been published over social media and news. He will continue smoking as long as flavored pods will be available in vaping.