What's the big deal about vaping?

What's the big deal about vaping?

Yo, what’s up dudes and dudettes?  Hope you’re feeling good and doing good, and more importantly, I hope you see the connection between doing good, meaning, doing things that are awesome for you, for others around you, and that improve your circumstances, and feeling good.  Have you ever heard the quote, “the gates of history turns on small hinges,” in other words, the seemingly small choices that you make daily, eventually become the direction of your life, and your destiny.  Or like Tony Robbins said, “It’s your decisions, not your conditions that determine your destiny.”  Now, I promise this isn’t some philosophical discussion about whether you believe or should believe in destiny or not… although that would be a blast…, the main idea here is that you are the main player in your story, and ultimately your small, mid-sized, and large choices will have a significant impact on where you end up.  I remember as a young boy growing up on the coast of Portugal, and one summer the city had a little program where we could sail on these tiny, and super cute little boats.  Well I learned about how to direct my sail to capture the wind, and how to use a rudder to aim where I was going, well my friend, this is what you’re doing in your personal life as well.  Where you headed?  Where are you aiming?  Every once in a while, you may want to check your compass, your rudder, and your sail, to make sure you’re catching the right wind out there, and headed in a direction that you actually want to end up at.

Quick question, have you ever seen the movie ‘Gremlins’?  It’s this old show, that honestly is a bit disturbing… I didn’t think it was when I was your age, but it’s kind of wild now that I see it again as an old man.  Anyways, the show Gremlins is a classic horror-comedy film that follows a young man named Billy Peltzer who receives the cutest, furry creature as a Christmas gift. This alien creature (a mogwai if you’re curious), which he names Gizmo, is adorable and seems to be harmless, honestly I wanted one. However, there are strict rules for caring for Gizmo: no bright lights, no water, and no feeding after midnight.

Of course… This is a horror show, so the rules get broken, and as a result, Gizmo spawns, like right out of its back, a brood of mischievous, monstrous creatures called Gremlins. These Gremlins basically wreak havoc on the small town, causing incredible chaos and destruction. Of course it all ends well, but that was one of my favorite shows growing up. 

So why am I telling you this?  Well, I’m going to do the best I can to draw a comparison here… I’ll probably fail miserably, but I’ll give it a go.  it’s quite likely that at some point in your young life, that you’re going to be around vaping.  It’s also called e-cigarettes, or mods, JUUL’s, or e-cigs, or vape pens, or tanks, or pod-mods.  Maybe you know someone who vapes now.  Maybe it’s a family member, or a friend, or a cousin, or whomever.  At some point, someone may even ask you whether you want to join in, and try it out.  You may even think about it.  Or maybe this is something that you’re experimenting with right now.  Here are some of the reasons for why teens try vaping:  

1. They want to fit in with their crowd:  Maybe the people and the places that you’re hangin’ out at do this, and you naturally may feel drawn to be a part of what’s going on, instead of being the odd duck out.  We all want to belong… to be part of something cool and trendy, and sometimes vaping may appear that way… it’s a bit edgy… it’s cute, it’s furry, it’s new, like Gizmo, so that social pressure leads you to try it out, and use it.

2. Looks fun and interesting: There are all these flavors like bubble gum, candy, fruit, and dessert, and the whole vape is this little electric piece of tech, that seems interesting and honestly is marketed as harmless, and so that sometimes leads people to try it out.

3. It seems safe:  Most teens think that vaping is safer than cigarettes (which by the way, isn’t true), but for a while, vaping was even marketed as a way for people to quit smoking, so the perception is “hey, this is actually going to help you,” yeah, said the snake before they bit you, right?

4. Vaping works:  what do I mean by that?  Well, many vaping juices contain nicotine, thc, other known poisons, toxic metals, and carcinogens that enter the body with every puff.  Nicotine, THC, and other chemicals quickly reach your brain, and cause the brain to release this chemical called dopamine.  Dopamine, depending on where it is released, is often called the ‘feel good’ or the reward chemical in the brain.  Similar to smoking, drinking alcohol, or using other drugs that interact with our nervous system, when people vape, they may feel better in the moment, more relaxed, or calm.  This reward, kind of like giving a dog a treat when they do something right, teaches our body and brain to desire more of that thing.  By the way, this doesn’t mean that you’re morally weak, or that you have an addictive personality, it just means that you have a brain… let me explain.  Your lovely brain is a pattern making machine.  From the moment you are born to the day you die, your brain is always making patterns.  The more you repeat a pattern, the more unconscious that pattern becomes.  In other words, your brain is constantly creating shortcuts.  Think of walking, running, writing, balancing, jumping, doing a kickflip, kicking a soccer ball, playing the piano, drawing, driving a car.  You’ve now done these things so many times, that you don’t even have to think consciously to do them… your body just automatically does it… effortlessly.  This is basically how a behavior, becomes a habit, and sometimes can become an addiction.  When you use chemicals like nicotine, THC, alcohol, or other drugs, this pattern happens much quicker and more powerfully, because of how that awesome awesome brain interacts with that drug… wow… did I just put you to sleep?  If I did, come on back my friend… I’m just getting started.  So, that’s what I meant by Vaping works… meaning, vaping will release the chemicals, which will create the pattern, and that pattern could become more intense, and become a physical dependence, and a mental and social addiction.  

Listen amigo, I am not a fear monger… I promise.  I respect you.  I respect your ability to determine the quality of life that you want to live, and one of my big personal objectives for why I create these videos, is that I hope you will make the kinds of choices in your life that are wise, intelligent, and that will elevate your options and opportunities.  So, I’m making this presentation to you right now, in the hopes that you will consider what it is that you will do, if you are faced with the choice to vape, or if you are even now, deciding to continue to vape, or to quit it.  

Alright, let me dive into why vaping is not the vibe, my friends!

1. The Mystery Chemical Cocktail: Have you ever played that game with the mystery jellybeans?  You know, the ones that sometimes taste like skunk, burnt rubber, wet dog, stink bug, liver and onions, toothpaste, barf, booger, old bandage, stinky socks, dead fish, rotten eggs!  Well, to be incredibly honest, that’s what you’re getting at the vape shop.  The juices aren’t regulated, they don’t have these chemists back there testing to see if these chemicals work together.  E-cigarettes contain chemicals that can cause irreversible lung damage, alter the brain, and increase the risk of catching colds or the flu. In addition to all of the chemicals that are in the juices, sometimes people find color dyes, nicotine, THC, essential oils, and traces of medicines in these e-liquids.  Vaping is like inhaling a mystery mix of chemicals—some that you can’t even pronounce, and definitely not meant for your lungs.

2. Your Brain is Still Under Construction: Studies have shown that teens are more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing  Think of your brain as a super cool new video game console. Vaping is like messing with the wires while it's still being built. It can mess up your memory, learning, and mood. Not exactly the power-up you want, right?

3. Your Lungs Aren't a Smoke Machine:  Lungs are these super cool air filters for your body. Vaping is like dumping a bunch of gross stuff into them. You'll end up coughing, wheezing, and you could literally end up with permanent lung damage… do yourself a solid and don’t start… or if you’re in it, consider ending it.   

4. Your Brain, Your Body, And Your Wallet Will Thank You Later:  Vaping drains your wallet faster than your battery percentage after a full day of Pokemon hunting. Why spend your cash on something that’s just going to make you sick, and go up in a cloud of smoke?  See what I did right there?  Think of it, why begin something, that almost a 100% of the people who have done it, and quit, regret… Learn from the mistakes of others, instead of repeating them, and expecting different outcomes.

Remember that silly movie that I introduced you to? Gremlins… with Gizmo, that cute, furry little critter, that in the end almost destroyed the entire town!  I know I’m being dramatic, your vaping isn’t going to bring the entire town to its knees… or is it?  No it won’t, but at least by the end of this video, you’ll be more educated, and more aware of what you’re getting yourself into.  So, next time someone offers you a vape, just remember—you’re too smart, too cool, and too future-focused to fall for that trap. Keep your vibes healthy and your lungs clear, and go be awesome without the vape cloud!  Ciao

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