So if you've decided to click past the link and read my piece, it is probably for one of two reasons. Either:

1. You agree with me and you're interested in what I have to say or;

2. You got so infuriated at the thought of anyone possibly disagreeing with your lifestyle choices that you're only going to share this article to circle-jerk with your vaping buddies about "how out of touch I am."

Honestly, I couldn't care less about which one describes you most but since you're here you may as well read and share my argument for why the "vaping" industry is completely misleading and harming our country.

Vape Life: Exposed

One of the most common lines used to defend the use of ENDS (Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems) is that they are a safe and effective tool to help individuals quit smoking cigarettes. Draper Vapor, a Utah-based vape store is self prescribed as being "...committed to positively contributing to public health by offering cigarette smokers an alternative in the form of smoke-free vapor products." An average person reading that would rightly assume "Cool! The vape industry is just trying to solve a public health crisis! Vapes must just be manufactured as a cigarette alternative and crutch for those who are trying to quit smoking!"

The problem here is...oh how do I put this...well...oh yeah, that's BULLSHIT. The appealing long-term market for vapes is not in former smokers and they know that.

If vaping was only being marketed as an alternative to cigarette smoking, we would see similar numbers in the decline in cigarette users and increase of vape users in recent years. If we look at the numbers for youth, according to the FDA, 16% of high school students reported being users of vapes and E-cigarettes in 2015. From 2011-2015 the percentage of high school students "vaping" rose almost 15%. In those same years, the percentage of high school students using cigarettes only declined 6.5% to 9.3% total. If vapes were simply replacing smoking, we shouldn't see this large gap. This means that there's a missing percentage of 8% of vape users in high school that were not previously reported cigarette users.

Additionally, when we look deeper into the mindset behind young individuals who decide to partake in ENDS, we see some more chilling numbers. The CDC indicates that almost 73% of those same high school students that used tobacco reported using a flavored tobacco product of some sort. Of the youth E-cigarette users, 81% claimed the availability of appealing flavors as the primary reason for use.

The vape industry is targeting youth with the pushing of inciting flavors and cool logos. "Mango Tango" and "Raspberry Razz" sound like ice cream flavors, not anything that could be harmful to your health. But the reason the names and flavors of these juices are pushed so hard by the companies that produce them is they know youth love catchy names; and if you can get a young person addicted to your product, you've got a customer for life.

This same tactic was used by cigarette companies in their campaigns to make smoking more appealing to children back in the 1950's. The teenagers of today are the replacement business of tomorrow, right?

Vapes aren't solving the problem of cigarette smoking, they're creating a completely new market of individuals that may not have ever tried nicotine products in their life. We are risking our children's future health by allowing ourselves to be mislead by the vaping industry.

The FDA's oversight, evaluation and regulation of E-cigarettes won't be complete for almost two years from now and that means that, according to the American Lung Association "until that time, the nearly 500 brands and 7,700 flavors of e-cigarettes will remain on the market – before FDA is able to fully evaluate them." The ingredients like glycerin, anti-freeze and multiple carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals) that were found in the leading 2 e-cigarette companies by FDA independent studies in 2009 will continue to enter our youth's bodies without our knowledge.

And if you're STILL not convinced, remember the shocking stats about youth vaping being on the continual rise? Well one thing that everyone agrees that vapes contain is nicotine and according to the American Lung Association nicotine intake in youth has serious effects on brain development, working memory and behavioral tendencies.

So vaping sounds cool and feels safe to many, however, it may not be portrayed to us in a real and factual manner. I think until the FDA has done full study and regulation, we as a country need to take a step back and reevaluate this booming industry.

Who knows, hopefully this article prevented some of you from becoming the tool bag that won't stop drowning me in "vape clouds" every time I sit outside at a local coffee shop.