Vaping devices like e-cigarettes have evolved well beyond their original purpose - helping adult smokers quit traditional cigarettes. These gadgets now come concealed as everyday items like pens or backpacks. Their kid-friendly flavors like bubblegum and banana have fueled rampant adoption among youth.
According to the FDA, in 2023 over 2.8 million middle and high school students are frequent e-cigarette users. Nicotine stimulates adrenaline, creating temporary calmness. But vaping can supply the nicotine equivalent of over a pack of cigarettes.
Harmful Misconceptions
When originally developed, vaping devices targeted adult smokers for smoking cessation. However, lawsuits against companies like Juul exposed intentional youth-focused marketing across social media. Some students still view vaping as harmless.
"It's never been appealing to me," says Luis Bustamante, a UTEP anthropology major raised in a family of cigarette smokers. "I think it looks kind of goofy."
Anti-smoking ads portray lasting damage - comparing scarred, disabled lungs to raisins or using decayed flesh to depict the impacts of long-term vaping. These graphic warnings resonated for Bustamante. "It's always the ones where dudes are saying, 'Oh I can't breathe anymore.'"
mounting responses
Seeing epidemics among minors, many states now push for greater safety measures in schools. Locally, Smoke-Free Project coordinator Kristen Ortega runs vaping education programs for parents, teachers and students.
"Kids know way more than we do about these devices, and so sometimes teachers are unaware on maybe how discreet some of these devices look," Ortega says. Workshops demonstrate the scale of the problem and provide guidance on detecting warning signs.
Ortega's organization, Action for Healthy Kids, collaborates with school districts in El Paso and Doña Ana County. "When they were originally developed, these products (vapes) were to help people quit smoking traditional cigarettes," Ortega says. "However, there have been a lot of different lawsuits, like with Juul for example, that showed that they were particularly targeting youth through social media and stuff like that."
Ongoing Struggle
Smoking and nicotine addiction have plagued generations. Vaping represents the latest evolution of a persistent public health threat. Campaigns led by groups like Action for Healthy Kids bring much-needed awareness and tools to address this societal issue. But the work has only just begun.
