You rely on something, everyone does. It could be your mom or maybe God. But whatever you rely on should be trustworthy. And vapes are not a trustworthy or reliable source.
Vapes have been on the news for their dangers and life threatening side effects. Even just holding a vape could be dangerous with recent issues of them exploding but consuming them can lead to serious lung, heart, and brain issues. Thousands if not millions have ended up in the hospital due to these e-cigarettes. But you probably already know all of this right? You have sat through all of the vaping lectures and seen all of the tiktoks. So what I’m wanting to inform you on is a whole new reason on why people should not vape, and it’s scary.
Let’s start with a big mystery. Where are these life suckers made? Maybe you’d say “somewhere in the U.S.” or make a joke saying “probably made in China like everything else” but that joke would be accurate. “90% of the world’s e-cigarettes are made in China. In fact, this country is the motherland of the vaping industry” Phyllis Baker says on Vaping Business: The Truth About Manufactures. China, though, is not just making vapes and sending them over here innocently for our own benefit, since vapes were originally made as a healthy way to get off cigarettes. Chinese vape factories have created a monopoly that we might not be able to begin to undo.
Actually, the e-cigarette was originally made in China. Later after getting on the internet it became popular in the U.S. and Europe. It contains a liquid with nicotine derived from tobacco and flavoring that is heated in order to be inhaled. Approved and less dangerous vapes, as none of them are “safe,” contain a certain level of nicotine that aren’t super harmful to consumers or overly addictive. This safer level of nicotine must be lost during shipping from China to America because it is not known exactly how much is put into a single e-cigarette in these Chinese factories.
The Chinese government has “not issued standards and regulations for electronic cigarette production and safety” says Phyllis Baker. Well that’s great isn’t it! To add to it, U.S. press releases from February 7th, 2024 say that “Chinese companies have taken advantage of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) law enforcement by flooding the U.S. market with illegal vaping products. The vast majority of Chinese vapes are not FDA-approved or regulated; as a result, millions of Americans are consuming untested and dangerous vaping products.” These press releases even say that the FDA considers them inadequate. The main idea I’m getting at is that we don’t know what is in these vapes that a large percentage of the country relies on. Or do we?
“Disposable Chinese vapes with illegal levels of nicotine, and deadly substances like fentanyl, have been found in the United States in growing numbers” written in a letter sent to Commissioner Robert Califf from U.S. senator Marco Rubio. If you’re confused on why they would do this, well I told you it’s a monopoly. Using a lot of nicotine and a super tiny amount of fentanyl and other substances isn’t just super dangerous but highly addictive. And the more addicted vape users there are and the more Americans that get hooked on vapes means more demand, more sales, and more money for China. But also fentanyl is a super dangerous drug that kills thousands of people every year and is not to be used in anything, especially a commonly used device. So if they would use that, who knows what else they would use to get people super addicted without their knowledge. If you are skeptical to believe any of this just think about this. Vapes are banned in the country of China. WHAT? The country that created vapes, makes almost all of them, and promotes its benefit of getting you off of cigarettes has banned the product for its own citizens? Wow.
Although people might say “well the vape I have probably isn’t from China” they need to think again because the letter I referred to earlier reveals that “dangerous and illegal Chinese vapes dominate the market.” If none of this has given you any worry, then I don’t know what would. If you vape, think again before you take your next hit at what you might be consuming. Vapes are already dangerous but this just adds a new level to it. This issue needs to be more talked about so that we can all be more aware. So remember this for your own safety next time you come in contact with a vape and inform someone you know who might have their own addiction.
