Rant #2,445: Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

I do not understand the vaping craze at all.

As a firm non-smoker who never smoked a thing in my life, I do not understand putting something in your mouth and releasing vapor that looks like automobile exhaust from that area.

I do not understand what possible pleasure one can get from doing that--and that includes from smoking in general, whether it is from tobacco or pot or whatever ... bananas, anyone?

Yet millions of people, including young people of high school age, are vaping as I write this, and that, to me, is incredible.

I heard this morning that studies show that up to 25 percent of all high schoolers in the country--young adults aged 14 to 18--are vaping.

Now, all areas of medicine and politics have come out against this practice, which evidently was created as "electronic cigarettes" or "e-cigarettes" to combat tobacco smoking, but has spread to include flavored smoking, which snarls young adults into thinking that it is "cool" and "fun" to vape.

Studies show that it isn't the case--just the opposite, in fact.

These studies show that through continued use, young people can harm the developing cells of their brains, and directly affect several areas, including those that regulate memory and attention.

And some women who are pregnant have turned to vaping as an alternative to smoking while pregnant, but what they fail to understand is that even vaping can hurt their newborns.

And the chemicals in vaping--including some nicotine, formaldehyde and a chemical used in anti-freeze--can cause cancer.

Hundreds of hospital visits due to being poisoned by vaping have been registered, with most of them coming from people who are vaping marijuana.

So due to these battery operated gadgets, we, as a society, have created another health crisis, one that even our President has addressed.

Quite frankly, we, as a society, have again put the cart before the horse, allowing the creation and release of a product that had not been fully tested as to the effects on our bodies before being put on the market.

While areas are condemning these gadgets--New York State is thinking of banning them, or at least regulating their circulation--we have dug a great hole for ourselves.

And not only that, but states like New York which are fully engaged in banning e-cigarettes are, on the other hand, touting recreational marijuana use as the next taxable trend they would love to adopt.

Sorry, New York and Governor Cuomo, you can't have it both ways.

Once the cat is tout of the bag, it is out, and it seems contradictory to be touting marijuana as the new "in" drug while decrying the dangers of vaping.

There are dangers associated in smoking anything--whether it is tobacco, marijuana, or whatever one is vaping.

The vaping companies claim that they never put out their product for kids, and that a lot of the problems stem from the unregulated use of products that they claim are bootlegged and therefore, not safe, including flavored products.

Of course, this is passing the buck, as cigarette companies have been doing for years as to the "benefits," or lack thereof, of their products.

It is time for everyone to come together and to ban these things for good, period. Let the current supply of these things be the last of them, and sure, they will still exist, but you won't be able to buy them at every corner, as you can now.

We, as a society, have created this mess, and we, as a society, have to stop it before it even gets worse than it is.

And people like Governor Cuomo cannot talk out of three sides of their mouths, damning tobacco products and vaping products while touting recreational marijuana use as the new normal.

It makes no sense at all, none.

And it is sending mixed messages to citizens, including our younger citizens, that some smoking is actually good for you.

Maybe good for the state's coffers, but who or what else can benefit from ANY smoking?