Used with the permission of John Clayton
As America moves away from God, young people are desperately searching for a substitute for the peace that faith brings. Since they came on the market in 2007, e-cigarettes have created a teen vaping problem. When a person inhales vapor laced with nicotine, the drug is quickly absorbed through the blood vessels and can reach the brain in as little as 10 seconds. This rapid absorption means that addiction comes very quickly.
Roughly 2.8 million young people use tobacco products, according to The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control. One in four of those using e-cigarettes say they use them every day. Young people assume that vaping is safer than cigarettes, but frequently, the vapors contain other toxic chemicals.
The 2023 Verkada Teen Vaping Survey of 2,650 Americans found that 61% of teenagers who vape consider themselves addicted. More than half (54%) of the teens expressed a desire to quit vaping. The Verkada survey also found that 9 out of 10 teachers reported vaping to be disruptive to learning environments. When users who vape do not have access to nicotine, they become agitated and sometimes belligerent, leading to school attendance problems and conflicts with parents. It is also an issue for the church as many teens who vape find it hard to participate in teen classes or activities.
In the New Testament, we find warnings about the dangers of the world, and vaping joins the list of world agents that bring addiction, heartbreak, conflict, and death.
