Remember waking up one fine morning? Nothing seemingly out-of-place or odd about it (or maybe there was something rather peculiar, which would make two)? That day, when you let the domino topple, that day when the adventurous horses in your spirit neighed a little higher than usual, when you gave that e-cigarette a try? Maybe it was something you have been curious about for a while, maybe it was a strange tool that a friend just handed you at an unsuspecting party, maybe it helped you quit smoking. Whatever the causes might be, if your answer to that title question is ‘yes’ (or maybe you looked at it and thought of a friend who might say ‘yes’) this article is the right place you’ve ended up in.
We are all well aware that the documented purpose of e-cigarettes is to take those people who are actively working to quit smoking one step closer to their destination and to make that step easier for them. And a lot of people have, undoubtedly, utilized vapes to fulfill a purpose. An article by Harvard Health Publishing stated, “an Analysis of 61 studies found that e-cigarette use was more effective than other approaches to quitting smoking. The study authors estimated that out of every 100 people who tried to quit smoking by vaping, 9 to 14 might be successful. When only using other methods, such as nicotine patches or behavioral counseling, only 4 to 7 smokers out of 100 might quit” (H, 2019; para. 1).
On the other hand, the majority of vape users are aged 18-24. Not the part of the population that has an ongoing excessive smoking problem, but high school and college kids like you and me! Naivety is the devil that leads our adults to believe that you are trying to be a ‘cool hipster’ and are being completely careless, reckless and irresponsible when they hear about your vaping habits. But we know that most times, that is not the case. For a lot of you, vape might be the thing that calms your nerves, helps manage anxiety, prevents breakdowns and,/or makes it easier to handle stress. It is an undeniable reality that entering adulthood—undergoing not only biological and hormonal but also academic, financial, and environmental changes—is one of the most stressful stages of anybody’s life. Getting started on e-cigarette consumption in this day and age of openness, acceptance, and advancement, is not the tricky part. It is only after that that non-consumers need to view this phenomenon in shades of gray instead of passing around judgemental, self-righteous advice. Vaping is usually not seen as ‘cool’. If you are a regular consumer, I know that a part of you feels ashamed and guilty for being addicted to nicotine. Addiction is serious and if you’re struggling to quit, I encourage you to seek help. At the age of late teens and early twenties, our intrigue for the “real” world is at its highest and with that desire to know and experience, our guards are at their lowest. A lot of irrational and dangerous choices can be excused due to that. But, for this time of your life is not only formative but also pivotal, it becomes even more significant to try and succeed in self-regulating.
Condescending comments and critics are inevitable when fighting off any addiction, but it is a bigger and non-budging reality that none of those slurs and smears define you. You should reach out to your mentors, instructors, trusted friends, parents, or anybody that you believe would genuinely support you to get off track of your addiction. You should seek out professional aid and determine to get your life rid of nicotine as much sooner as possible. You should wake up before this routine turns into a nightmare.