A lot goes through my mind. But one thing has been sticking with me for a while: vaping.

   A few years ago, vaping, specifically Juuls, blew up among kids our age. Seemingly harmless, everyone was doing it. Everyone knows the harms in smoking: cancer, the smell, the addiction — but vaping seemed like the new way to have that satisfying nicotine rush without any consequences.

   For the most part, it’s been that way with the Juul, but around the country, issues have been quickly arising. There has been a massive increase in severe lung illnesses around the country. 

   And this isn’t old men that have been smoking a pack a day since they were eighteen, it’s teenagers. Teenagers who have been vaping – not smoking – for only a couple years or less. 

   It’s been a medical phenomenon; perfectly healthy kids are turning violently ill in a manner of days. 

   I just read an article in the Chicago Tribune about an 18 year old, Adam Hergenreder, who was hospitalized unable to breathe. He has been vaping for only 2 years. The doctors said that his lungs resembled that of a 70 year old man and that the damage could be irreversible. 

   Hergenreder never anticipated this sort of consequence. “People just see that little (vape) pod and think, how could that do anything to my body?,” he said.

   Common with all the recent lung illnesses is vaping. Doctors have determined that it is likely caused by a certain chemical called Vitamin E Acetate (basically a fancy word for oil). When heated, it should be harmless, but when overheated, it’s compound changes.

   The issue is that lungs are only meant to handle gases. A little harmful gas enters the lungs? The lungs will be fine. The issue with these vapes is that when chemicals are overheated, the turn into non-gas forms and coating the lungs.

   Everyone is always blaming poor Juul for these problems, but there is another culprit that is now facing scrutiny: weed vape cartridges. It’s a relatively new way of getting high. Rather than smoking weed, thc oils are put into a cartridge and vaped. 

   These are suspected to be the likely cause of many of the illness although nothing is confirmed yet. It is suspected that illegal devices are harmful.

   In states where weed is legal, “carts” are sold in dispensaries and there is generally little issue regarding toxicity.

   Here in the Garden State, weed is not legal and the carts that people buy are not legal. Some of them are legit from out of state, but many are fake. That’s a problem because the thc concentration is much lower. That sounds good to the oblivious reader but think: if there’s less thc, what fills up the rest of the space? Junk.

   Tests have shown that many of the carts going around contain high levels of pesticides. Usually we wash that stuff our fruit, but now people willingly ingest it.

   I don’t believe there is a vaping “epidemic.” I don’t think the government should be getting involved in what we can and can’t do. People should have the right to make their own choices and the government shouldn’t be legislating our freedoms away.

   Just this week, Michigan passed a law banning e-cigarette flavors with the intent of crushing the appeal to young people. That nice but it restricts the liberties of Americans who should be able to decide what they want to do with their bodies.

   Why don’t we ban soda? Why don’t we ban all unhealthy foods? Why don’t we ban football?

   Because America is free. People assume risks when taking part in something.

   Vaping shouldn’t be banned, but it should be smarter. The government should not ban, but regulate the chemicals that are put into vapes. People should be aware of what they are consuming and the risks associated. That’s what’s on my mind.