{"id":54787,"date":"2022-08-23T11:28:18","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T11:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/?p=54787"},"modified":"2025-12-14T04:36:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T04:36:05","slug":"up-in-smoke-the-united-states-of-americas-vaping-epidemic-threatens-adolescent-futures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/up-in-smoke-the-united-states-of-americas-vaping-epidemic-threatens-adolescent-futures\/","title":{"rendered":"Up in smoke: the United States of America\u2019s vaping epidemic threatens adolescent futures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Following rapid growth, e-cigarettes have become the most used tobacco product among youth populations in the <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\"><strong>United States of America<\/strong><\/a><strong> (USA) (Cullen, 2019). Their modern packaging \u2013 often shaped like USB flash drives \u2013 and multiplicity of artificial flavours appeal to <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-rights\/\"><strong>younger demographics<\/strong><\/a><strong> (Cullen, 2019). Beyond the glitz and glamour, e-cigarettes have been thrust to the forefront of medical discussions by the commonly held belief that they are less harmful than other forms of smoking. Until this question is answered in the definitive, or unless comprehensive regulations are introduced, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\"><strong>e-cigarettes<\/strong><\/a><strong> will continue to market their products towards adolescents to capitalise on market demand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are e-cigarettes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recreational smoking has shown tremendous resistance to regulation and societal evolution. Originating circa 5000 BC in the form of rolled up tobacco leaves, the practice has become a norm among many societies and communities, regardless of one\u2019s social standing or cultural background. The most modern development in this area is the introduction of the electronic or e-cigarette, also known as a \u2018vape\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54792\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_1252774594-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">E-cigarettes<\/a>, in full electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), are battery-powered devices designed to vaporise liquid solutions including sugar, flavouring and typically nicotine, to create an aerosol vapor that can be inhaled by its user (Kong, 2017). The devices often come with replaceable cartridges and were introduced to markets in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a> in 2007 (Kong, 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the time, e-cigarettes were advertised as an aide to help smokers quit the habit, despite an absence of evidence to validate this claim (Jones, 2020). The introduction of the popular handheld smoking device saw the industry rise to nearly a billion dollars by 2014, evidencing both an increase in popularity and an absence of regulation (Kong, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beneath the broader e-cigarette umbrella are several different variations of the same product. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a>\u2019s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Center for Disease Control Prevention recognise several derivatives within this definition (Kurti, 2019). While trivial factors such as the size, weight, design and capacity of e-cigarettes may vary, the most significant differentiation is the presence of nicotine or THC, marijuana\u2019s psychoactive ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An adolescent-vaping epidemic<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a> has seen a dramatic rise in e-cigarette use among young populations since 2010. Between 2011 and 2015, e-cigarette usage among high school students rose from 1.5% to 16% (Cullen, 2019). Between 2017 and 2018, adolescent usage increased by a staggering 10%, accounting for approximately 1.3 million new \u2018vapers\u2019 (Jones, 2020). The US Surgeon General and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner branded youth e-cigarette use as an epidemic in 2018, saying that it had increased \u201cat a rate of epidemic proportions\u201d (Patel, 2019). As of 2018, over five million <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">American<\/a> adolescents are currently using e-cigarettes (Patel, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The meteoric rise of vaping means e-cigarette smoking now exceeds cigarette use in young people (Kong, 2017). Whether the practice is \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">healthier\u2019<\/a> than other forms of smoking remains contentious, however, its prevalence and the <em>de facto<\/em> presence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">nicotine<\/a> in most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarettes<\/a> has raised alarm bells throughout the country. In the face of relentless marketing strategies capitalising on perceptions of e-cigarettes as less harmful, the government and local regulatory bodies alike have begun to make visible efforts to buck the trend (Kong, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within schools and educational institutions, vaping is proving disruptive to ordinary class functions, leading teachers to describe the habit as \u201csecond nature\u201d for high schoolers across the country (Truth Initiative, 2020). This disruption has birthed shorter attention spans and forced teachers to adopt a quasi-enforcement role in the policing of school campuses \u2013 where over a quarter of adolescents\u2019 report having vaped at least once (Truth Initiative, 2020). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within schools across the country, the most popular <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarette<\/a> brand is JUUL, so much so that JUULing has found its way into teenage vernacular (Jones, 2020). The company controls 75% of the market and is approaching $4 billion in net worth (Patel, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOver the past few years, it\u2019s gotten out of control. Whereas before you would just see small groups of students vape, now it\u2019s become to popular and accessible that it\u2019s about as common as holding a cup of coffee. It\u2019s spreading.\u201d (Truth Initiative, 2020).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-default\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54790\" width=\"474\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-830x554.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_441252415-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 474px) 100vw, 474px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The overwhelming presence of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarettes<\/a> prompted former President Donald Trump to impose bans in 2019, prohibiting flavoured e-cigarettes and attempting to raise the minimum purchase age from 18 to 21 (Patel, 2019). These efforts, however, were undermined by vocal upheaval from politicians and citizens alike, forcing the former President to relent on that stance and settle for the FDA\u2019s authority over e-cigarette regulation via the Child Nicotine Poisoning Prevention Act (Jones, 2020). The body has not implemented any sweeping prohibitions or regulations, as such, the country remains divided with individual States adopting their own approaches to regulate the trend (Patel, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advertising and the corporate world<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Driving the surge in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarette<\/a> uptake is the corporate world. Television, web-based and print advertisements are littered with e-cigarette promotions that often market the practice as one that is \u201chealthier, cheaper and cleaner\u201d than other smoking alternatives (Kong, 2017). More recently, marketers have shifted away from health-based promotions towards attractive features, such as exotic flavours and popular culture themes of identity and lifestyle (Kong, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This likely follows an FDA investigation into JUUL for illegal advertisement, forcing the company to replace its CEO and pause all advertisement campaigns (Patel, 2019). With flavour at the heart of e-cigarette\u2019s appeal, JUUL and other major brands continue to push back against efforts to restrict certain flavours and have warned against the emergence of an unregulated e-cigarette black market if regulations are not undertaken correctly (Patel, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>E-cigarette marketing is almost exclusively aimed at adolescents, with social media platforms the primary vehicle for information transmission (Jones, 2020). To attract young users, e-cigarette companies are making their products more and more customisable, with variations in shape, appearance and the vaporising mechanisms (Jones, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The dangers of e-cigarettes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The risks of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarettes<\/a> for adolescents can be broken down into two categories, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/health-2\/\">health<\/a> and lifestyle. In terms of the latter, school disruptions mean many children are losing the skill of concentration or finding themselves excused from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">classrooms<\/a> on a regular basis (Truth Initiative, 2020). Teachers report children presenting glassy eyes and a loss of self-control following the use of e-cigarettes (Truth Initiative, 2020). The pervasiveness of e-cigarettes means adolescents are constantly engaged in the habit, unlike traditional cigarettes which are rejected in a large number of environments (Truth Initiative, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> risks, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/children-and-addictions\/\">e-cigarettes<\/a> have been link to severe lung and heart diseases, specifically those with higher nicotine concentrations (Patel, 2019). At the more extreme end of the spectrum, e-cigarettes expose adolescents to high levels of nicotine and heavy metals, making them a danger in and of themselves and a gateway to other forms of smoking (Patel, 2019). Though not widely recognised, some e-cigarettes contain higher concentrations of nicotine than traditional cigarettes (Jones, 2020). Nicotine addiction in and of itself is a paediatric disease capable of hindering <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/early-childhood-development-the-foundation-of-a-sustainable-and-prosperous-society\/\">brain development<\/a> (Kong, 2017).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The unregulated and easily-accessible nature of e-cigarettes has given rise to the current epidemic. To guard against birthing dependencies for an entire generation, different sectors throughout the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/united-states-of-america\/\">USA<\/a> must collectively work to implement evidence-based changes to the status quo. The scientific community must continue to gather data on the harms of e-cigarettes, without this information, a generation of adolescents risks severe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">illness<\/a> due to a lack of concrete information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within local and county <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/what-is-justice\/\">legal and policy frameworks<\/a>, the use of e-cigarettes must be outlawed on school premises and an increase in the age restriction should be considered until there is greater data to suggest otherwise. Complementary to hard bans on their use, schools can work to support children to develop independence and avoid falling victim of peer pressure and modern <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/childrens-mental-wellbeing\/\">mental health<\/a> strains (Patel, 2019). While emerging evidence does not show a correlation between State bans on e-cigarette use and a decrease in vaping, this is likely a product of the trend being in its ascent before it stabilises and loses its novelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Advocacy is also required, led by both health and government experts, to correctly frame e-cigarettes as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protection\/\">harmful<\/a> tobacco products (Jones, 2020). Though marketing companies have capitalised on a lack of information to frame e-cigarettes as less harmful, this does not mean that they are harmless. E-cigarettes are yet to receive mandatory packaging instructions to ensure all buyers are clear on what they are purchasing, nor are marketing campaigns scrutinised with the same fine lens as cigarette companies (Jones, 2020).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If adolescents would like to voluntarily engage in a harmful practice they should at least understand what they are getting themselves into. Historical precedent suggests vapes are here to stay, the question is how long before we learn of their severity and the costs of poor regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-style-default\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-830x553.jpg 830w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-230x153.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-480x320.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/shutterstock_689215504-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We, here at Humanium, care deeply about children\u2019s right to public <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protection\/\">protection<\/a>. Since children are especially vulnerable and more at risk to illness and health complications due to their age, they deserve to live in a society where they will not be led on by deceitful marketing and untrustworthy internet to obtain bad and harmful habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> Ensuring that children can grow into healthy adults, is a moral obligation of any responsible society that should encourage continued <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a> of children\u2019s public health.&nbsp; If you want help us in our efforts to raise awareness on children\u2019s rights to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/fundamental-rights-2\/health\/\">health<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/protection\/\">protection<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/right-to-education\/\">education<\/a>, feel free to consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/child-sponsorship\/\">sponsoring a child<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/donation\/\">making a donation<\/a>, or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/participate\/volunteer\/\">becoming a volunteer<\/a>&nbsp;with our organization. Take action now to protect the health of the youngest among us!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Written by Vanessa Cezarita Cordeiro<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For more information:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/truthinitiative.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Truth Initiative<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Surgeon General\u2019s Advisory on E-cigarettes Use Among Youth \u2013 Center for Disease Control and Prevention<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\">Quick Facts on the Risks of E-cigarettes for Kids, Teens and Young Adults \u2013 Center for Disease Control and Prevention<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jama\/article-abstract\/2755265\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cullen, K, PhD., Gentzke, A, PhD., Sawdey, M, PhD. (2019, November 5). \u201cE-cigarette use among youth in the United States.\u201d Retrieved from Jama Network, accessed on 21 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC7023954\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jones, K., Salzman, G. (2020). \u201cThe vaping epidemic in adolescents.\u201d Retrieved from The Journal of the Missouri State Medical Association, accessed on 19 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5776733\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kong, G., Krishnan-Sarin, S. (2017, March 11). \u201cA call to end the epidemic of adolescents e-cigarette use.\u201d Retrieved from National Library of Medicine, accessed on 18 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/are-vaping-and-e-cigarettes-the-same-and-should-all-these-products-be-avoided-127582\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kurti, A. (2019, November 27). \u201cAre \u2018vaping\u2019 and \u2018e-cigarettes\u2019 the same, and should all these products be avoided?. Retrieved from The Conversation, accessed on 18 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brookings.edu\/blog\/brown-center-chalkboard\/2019\/11\/22\/the-youth-vaping-epidemic-addressing-the-rise-of-e-cigarettes-in-schools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Patel, N., Quintero, D. (2019, November 22). \u201cThe youth vaping epidemic: addressing the rise of e-cigarettes in schools.\u201d Retrieved from Brown Center Chalkboard, accessed on 19 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><a href=\"https:\/\/truthinitiative.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/files\/2020\/04\/Truth_Teacher%20Report_FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Truth Initiative. (2020, April 27). \u201cA classroom crisis: How the youth vaping epidemic is impacting teachers.\u201d Retrieved from Truth Initiative Inspiring Tobacco-Free Lives, accessed on 18 July 2022.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following rapid growth, e-cigarettes have become the most used tobacco product among youth populations in the United States of America (USA) (Cullen, 2019). Their modern packaging \u2013 often shaped like USB flash drives \u2013 and multiplicity of artificial flavours appeal to younger demographics (Cullen, 2019). Beyond the glitz and glamour, e-cigarettes have been thrust to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":54789,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[152,9,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-childrens-rights","category-environment-programmes","category-health"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Up in smoke: the United States of America\u2019s vaping epidemic threatens adolescent futures - Humanium<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Following rapid growth, e-cigarettes have become the most used tobacco product among youth populations in the United States of America (USA).\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.humanium.org\/en\/up-in-smoke-the-united-states-of-americas-vaping-epidemic-threatens-adolescent-futures\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Up in smoke: the United States of America\u2019s vaping epidemic threatens adolescent futures - 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