RESEARCH BLOG #4: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Working Title: Social, Economic, and Environmental Aspects of Vaping among
College Students
Research Question: How has the perception of e-cigarettes affected the social
normative environment for college students? Why has the usage of e-cigarettes
become a social norm and why do students choose to vape?
Theoretical Frame:
I would like to start off discussing the
toxicology of e-cigarette constituents. Overall, e-cigarettes contain ingredients
such a propylene glycol and glycerol, along with the mixture of concentrated
flavors and sometimes with some percentage of nicotine (National Academies of
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division). In the
charts that show the numbers of high school and college students that vape,
done by Nicole Pesce, it
was found that, “The number of college students vaping regularly also increased
by 10 percentage points between 2017 and 2018” (Pesce). In addition to this, it was gathered in a University of
Michigan survey that 21% of students in 2018 reported that they vaped in the
last 30 days, as oppose to 9% of students in 2015. Another statistic that was
noted was that younger adults in America are less likely to suggest that vaping
is harmful to their health. There is an increase in usage and a correlation to
perception of e-cigarettes showed that having friends that use e-cigarettes can
have an influence on one’s decision to try or effectively continue vaping.
These students perceive the usage of e-cigarettes as a positive impact in their
social life (Wallace). Their
perception is influenced by the need to “fit in” or look “cool,” as well as the
flavor choices offered and the customization aspect of vaping (The Vaping Trend
among Students - Pros and Cons).
I
am determined to address the economic challenges for why students choose
e-cigarettes over traditional cigarettes. In a search through numerous
databases, conducted by cons, it was reported that those who had a higher amount
of pocket money were more likely to use e-cigarettes more often because they
were able to afford these products (Perikleous).
At the same time, vapes overall are expensive, but they would be cheaper in the
long run. Once you purchase a decent vape pen, all you have to buy after
are e-liquid cartridges (The Vaping Trend among Students - Pros and Cons). The
problem with vaping is that the general population does not see why vaping is
bad for an individual’s health. However, “According to the Food and Drug Administration, 81% of kids
who’ve used tobacco started with a flavored product. And research has
found that youth who use a nicotine-delivery product such as e-cigarettes are
more likely to go on to use traditional tobacco products like cigarettes”
(See). The exposure to the nicotine in these vapes are particularly harmful to
individuals who start vaping before the age of 25 because the brain is not
fully developed yet so this exposure can cause behavioral and cognitive
impairments, which include addiction and learning challenges.
In
New Jersey specifically, e-cigarette vaping regulations include: “e-liquids may
only be sold at retail by licensed specialty vapor businesses and liquid
nicotine must be sold in child-resistant containers” (Public Health Law
Center). However, even with such regulations and the use of electronic smoking
being prohibited in public places, students are still managing to find ways to
vape. The youth’s perception of vaping has shown to be worrisome as, “…vaping
increases the risk a teen will smoke regular cigarettes later”(Raven). With
this vaping trend on a rise, colleges are thinking of ideas of how to make
students more willing to quit. Some methods include surveying students, using
peer-to-peer approaches, and including e-cigarette use in campus policies (How
Colleges Can Help Their Students Quit Vaping). The current environment, such as
the partying and drug culture on campus, has influenced students’ decisions to
try vaping. In Armstrong and Hamilton’s, Paying for the Party: How
College Maintains Inequality,” they discuss how students who are on
the “party pathway” at college discover they could drink and use drugs, while
taking easy classes, knowing that the end of the day if they got into any
trouble, their parents will help them still succeed. Because students still
have this mentality that they are untouchable, and nothing can happen to them,
I would like to extend the research on my paper to highlight why students of
all classes choose to vape and why the possible dangers of long-term vaping
should be enough of a reason for individuals to stop completely.
Cases/Example
In
August 2019, an 18-year-old student from Illinois was hospitalized after using
e-cigarettes for more than a year and a half. Doctors had told him that his lungs
resemble those of a 70-year-old adult (Howard). Adam, the student, admitted
that he started vaping to fit in and the e-cigarette tasted good as well as
gave him a little head high. However, this mysterious vaping lung illness has
shown to be linked to e-cigarettes. Specifically, Pulmonary illnesses have been
seen to be related to e-cigarette use. In July 2019, the Wisconsin Department
of Health Services and the Illinois Department of Public Health received
various cases of lung injury correlated with the use of e-cigarettes and they
decided to investigate the situation. The results of the case patients showed
that the early cluster lung injury was associated with the use of e-cigarettes
and similar products among young and healthy individuals (Layden). If this
possibility is not scary enough, it is also proven that, “Nationwide, 82% of
patients hospitalized with e-cigarette or vaping, product use–associated lung
injury (EVALI) reported tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing product use”( Update:
Characteristics of a Nationwide Outbreak of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Product
Use–Associated Lung Injury - United States, August 2019–January 2020). These
vaping illnesses have been also linked to Vitamin E Acetate, which is a
sticky-like substance that clings to the lung tissue. This substance is
typically used as a vitamin supplement or an item in lotions, but just because
something is safe to put on your skin or to swallow, it does not mean that it
is safe to inhale(Grady).
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