[toomuchtodo]

Mid 30s adult here who used an e-cigarette for a year or two when alone in the car for funsies (flavors smell nice).

What, exactly, is the problem with kids vaping/using e-cigarettes if they don't contain a controlled substance (THC or nicotine, in these cases). We don't ban kids from consuming caffeine, so what's the problem with inert vapors? I agree that the liquid to be vaporized needs to be regulated to prevent health issues, but that's no different than the FDA regulating food safety.

[neaden]

The problems that I see with that are. 1. Vaping still isn't that healthy for you even if everything is ideal. Heating something up and inhaling it is never going to be that healthy. Add in possible contamination in the liquid, issues with not cleaning the vape etc. and you are always going to have some health problems. 2. It makes it easier to then switch to nicotine once they have the vape pen since the psychological and financial switch is less to just try it out once. 3. It makes it harder for schools/parents to know who is consuming a banned substance vs. an unbanned inert vapor.

I think a blanket ban on vapes for everyone under 18 and a ban on tobacco for 21 and older would probably have beneficial public health impacts.

[seanalltogether]

> Heating something up and inhaling it is never going to be that healthy.

Just to add to this. Your gastrointestinal tract has evolved for millions of years to deal with all sorts of crap you can throw at it. It's always the safest route. Snorting or inhaling compounds is a quick way to the bloodstream, but an unsafe route since the sinuses and lungs aren't as good at protection and general healing as the stomach and gut.

[toomuchtodo]

> I think a blanket ban on vapes for everyone under 18 and a ban on tobacco for 21 and older would probably have beneficial public health impacts.

That's a fair compromise, although I'd like an outright ban on cigarettes. If someone wants to vape to get their nicotine, or chew gum, fine (I am a supporter of safe recreational drug use). But smoking has been proven to be downright ruinous to your long term health.

Disclosure: I am putting a Kickstarter together to use GMOs to eliminate tobacco long term.

[drewmate]

> Disclosure: I am putting a Kickstarter together to use GMOs to eliminate tobacco long term.

Could you elaborate on this? It sounds interesting, but it also sounds kind of "Scorpio-like" [0] like you are some Bond villain plotting to take over the world's tobacco supply with a genetically modified super-tobacco that will strangle other tobacco at the roots unless farmers pay you for weed killer. [1]

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tnod9vtB4xA

[1] https://www.roundup.com/en-us

[mirekrusin]

It sets up distance to seriously dangerous things way too short for teens: - few drops to get little high, teens love to experiment because they can show how cool/adults they are, and they're hooked in no time - concentration of nicotine in nic shots is way too high, spill in your pocket or just having your hands "dirty" with 18mg can end up in emergency room or even death, if teens have younger siblings the risk goes up, bit of liquid from a tiny bottle of nicotine shot can easily kill an infant (and they love to catch and suck random things) - comparison with cigarettes sometimes doesn't make sense, you can't accidentally eat a pack of cigarettes in few minutes, with liquid nicotine it's enough to spread it on the skin (not even ingesting it) which absorbs it extremely well and it's hard to wash off. etc.

[ocdtrekkie]

Funny story: About 20% of the time, I now get carded when buying a pack of Five Hour Energy. It's definitely not an area law, as far as I can tell, but it seems like there's an interest in monitoring youth purchase of energy drinks.

Not sure if this might be a self-interest thing where the store just doesn't want to be on the hook if a kid drinks too many. (The bottle specifies not to drink more than two a day, "several" hours apart. Kids who drank six have ended up in the hospital.)

[kurthr]

The article is about nicotine vape (Juul) which is addictive and (in some states) illegal to sell to children. The problem is in the title "I can't stop", and the solution is to put them on nicotine gum?

"You must be at least 21 years old to purchase products on JUUL.com.'

[portofcall]

These do contain nicotine, that’s the first paragraph of the article with the kid asking about nicotine gum.