You hear it in the halls, and can’t go a day without seeing it.

This isn’t a letter that is trying to tell you that vaping is bad, and illegal if
you aren’t 18 years of age. You know that. The objective isn’t to rehash
all the things you have heard before. That vaping damages your lungs and
can create a life long addiction to nicotine. Nor is it to remind you that
vaping started as an alternative to cigarettes.

We aren’t trying to tell you that vaping hasn’t been around long enough
to see the long-term effects, so the risk you are taking, which we are sure
is very calculated, is really a shot in the dark.

We aren’t trying to make you feel bad for ignoring the facts. We know
what it’s like to live in “vape culture.” We live there, too. We know how easy
it is to say “just this one time” or “it can’t be that bad for you.”

We understand that addiction is a real thing, and that this might have
started as just a one time thing that turned into “I can’t quit.” This isn’t
us trying to shame you, or tell you what is good or bad.

You know.

We want to look at the culture that has evolved and see where change
can ignite.

We speak to you as teenagers because we feel the same pressure you
do. We end up at the same social events and see you in the halls every
day. This is a culture that we should not want to be a part of. We shouldn’t
feel the need to be pressured to have a vape if our friends have one, or
hit it if someone else does.

We are asking for a culture change. We ask you to help us create a
culture you would want your younger sibling growing up in, a culture in
which others could feel safe and comfortable.

Help us. Help us change the atmosphere. Change it at school. Change
it at social events. Change how you think about it.

Realize that vaping isn’t just vaping. Vaping can result in lifelong issues,
like that of addiction. Recognize that when you are giving your friend “just
one hit,” or taking one yourself, it can turn into so much more than that.

Sincerely your editors,

Devin Anderson - Torrez and Alaina Houser