Running Head: CASE STUDY 1
L. M. Whitehead
Liberty University
Author Note
Luther M. Whitehead is a student of the Undergraduate-level Psychology program at
Liberty University Online, Lynchburg, Virginia.
Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Luther Whitehead via
Liberty webmail at lwhitehead13@liberty.edu
Case Study II: Vaping
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Case Study II: Vaping
The Issues
Juuling, Vaping and Nicotine Addiction
To best understand the social phenomenon as well as the health, moral/biblical
implications as well as societal areas of concern over the issue of Juuling (brand name associated
with the act of ‘Vaping’) it is best to offer a brief explanation as to what ‘Vaping’ is. According
to the current Director of Policy Research and Analysis at the Center on Addiction, Vaping is
“the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an
e-cigarette or similar device. The term is used because e-cigarettes do not produce tobacco
smoke, but rather an aerosol, often mistaken for water vapor, that actually consists of fine
particles. Many of these particles contain varying amounts of toxic chemicals, which have been
linked to cancer, as well as respiratory and heart disease” (Richter, 2018, para 1). The purpose of
the paper is to briefly explain why there is concern over the practice of Vaping particularly
among teenagers.
Health Implications
Estimates provided by a recent Contemporary Pediatrics article, cite that some 4.7 million
adolescents and young adults smoke traditional cigarettes in the United States, with a reported 9
of 10 young people having tried a cigarette by the time they are 18 years of age. (Gibson &
Martinasek, 2018). Nicotine-laden e-cigarette, in particular, those marketed under the branded
name of “Juul” has become a fad among adolescents and young Americans. This use of Juul
devices seems to be an alternative to traditional cigarettes and perhaps an alternative to older
Americans whom have been smoking for many years. “The practice of Juuling is raising
significant health concerns given previous research on electronic Vaping devices” (Gibson &
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Martinasek). There are many opinions as to whether Vaping devices are harmful to those whom
choose to partake of the Vape Craze. While I have found contradictory opinion, for the sake of
this paper, we will look to the Surgeon General of the United States as a reference to health
implications of e-cigarette/vape use from a report released in December or 2018 which reads as
follows: “E-cigarette use among youth has skyrocketed in the past year at a rate of epidemic
proportions. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Food and Drug Administration’s National Youth Tobacco Survey, the percentage of high school-
age children reporting past 30-day use of e-cigarettes rose by more than 75 percent between 2017
and 2018. Use among middle school-age children also increased nearly 50 percent” and “As
noted in the 2016 Surgeon General’s report on E-cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults,
e-cigarette use poses a significant – and avoidable – health risk to young people. Besides
increasing the possibility of addiction and long-term harm to brain development and respiratory
health, e-cigarette use may also lead to the use of regular cigarettes that can do even more
damage to the body” (U.S Department of Health and Human Services, 2018). This report seems
to contradict a recent United States Surgeon General report which cites that “The US Surgeon
General has concluded that e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless and can contain harmful and
potentially harmful chemicals, including nicotine” (Gibson & Martinasek, 2018). It seems a
matter of common sense that regardless of device used to inhale nicotine (e-cigarette or
traditional smoking) that nicotine delivered into one’s respiratory system is harmful to the body.
It is unfortunate that there seems to be debate about the issue of Vaping/Juuling as I (as a Vape
user) have extensively researched the topic in the hopes of switching from traditional cigarette
smoking to Vaping) which has lead to no absolutes in seeking to answer a question to this
scenario: I really want to stop smoking cigarettes, there is an alternative now, some sort of vapor
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mist delivery product that is not even smoke yet some kind of mist with very little nicotine, is
this better to use than traditional smoking? Reports from the U.S Department of Health and
Human Services seem to point to the legitimate health concern that Vaping is being shown to
lead to traditional use of tobacco in the form of cigarette smoking, not in lieu of abstinence. This
is the concern, especially for young teenagers, as Juul marketing seems to target the young much
in the same way that tobacco companies used to have beautiful actresses and well-known actors
promote traditional smoking in movies/film. While the research appears to be contradictory, the
American Heart Association offers that “The long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are not well
understood yet. But the science clearly indicates that Vaping is not a safe or healthy alternative to
smoking. We’ll continue to support research into the health consequences of this and other
tobacco product trends that aim to appeal to a new generation of users” (American Heart
Association, 2018).
Biblical/Moral Implications
It is perhaps easier to consider the Biblical world view as to whether we as adults or our
younger generation should partake of the Vaping Craze instead of waiting for a decisive answer
to whether or not Vaping has negative health consequences. Perhaps we should consider that one
thing that we already know that is true about smoking in general (regardless of method: E-
cigarette or traditional cigarette smoking) and consider that the Bible says: “Do you not know
that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey?”
(Romans 6:16) When an individual’s thinking and actions are dominated by a craving for
tobacco, he soon becomes a slave to a degrading practice. However, God, whose name is
Jehovah, wants us to be free, not only from practices that harm our body but also from those that
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corrupt our spirit, that is, our dominant mental inclination. (Psalm 83:18; 2 Corinthians 7:1 )
(Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, 2020).
Societal Issues
Vaping, in general, is a huge societal issue in that “Young people who use e-cigarettes are
four times more likely to start smoking cigarettes than their peers who do not vape. On top of
that, e-cigarette use among young people, many of whom were not smokers in the first place, has
skyrocketed in recent years, jumping 78% among high schoolers between 2017 and 2018 alone”
(Truth Initiative, 2020). The societal issues go beyond whether the act of Vaping is harmful to
those partaking of the “mist” (young or old) and whether Vaping is more harmful or less harmful
or perhaps even no harm at all when compared to the traditional use of tobacco in cigarette form.
We have no choice but to look to our ‘experts’ and rely upon our own understanding as to what is
good for us and not good for us in the actions that we take especially in regard to our health.
While a Biblical world view does not (in my opinion) allow for the use of any chemical
compounds (nicotine of any amount) we have to look to what are the harmful effects to our
young adults whom are more susceptible to advertising as well as peer pressure as we face yet
another societal issue, Vaping.
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References
American Heart Association. (2018). Is Vaping better than smoking? Retrieved April 19, 2020
from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/quit-smoking-tobacco/is-
vaping-safer-than-smoking
Gibson, L. M. & Martinasek, M. (2018). JUULING: What kids don’t know will hurt them.
Contemporary Pediatrics. (35/6). Retrieved from
https://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/pediatrics/juuling-what-kids-dont-know-will-
hurt-them
Kaplan, S. & Richtel, M. (2018, August 27). Did Juul lure teenagers and get ‘customers for
life’? The New York Times. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/science/juul-vaping-teen-marketing.html
Richter, L. (2020). What is vaping? Center on Addiction. Retrieved April 19, 2020 from
https://www.centeronaddiction.org/e-cigarettes/recreational-vaping/what-vaping
Vaping: Why vaping is an important issue. (2020). Truth Initiative. Retrieved April 19, 2020
from https://truthinitiative.org/our-top-issues/vaping-issue
Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. (2020). What is God’s view of smoking?
Retrieved April 19, 2020 from https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/wp20140601/bible-
about-smoking/
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