Thomas Celles

Reporter

NSU property, similar to other state facilities, is a tobacco-free zone. The policy, as it is today, went into effect on April 1, 2014. The ban currently encompasses all kinds of smoke producing products as well as one odd inclusion: e-cigarettes and vapes.

Cigarettes, pipes and other products rely on flames and release a large quantity of smoke and odor, so banning them is not comparable to banning a small, subtle and unobtrusive device that releases no smell and little to no obvious “smoke.”

The only valid reason a facility should have to ban something from their grounds is for safety or prevention of a public nuisance. That is why it makes sense that cigarettes and other actual tobacco products are banned.

Smoking cigarettes, especially indoors, can lead to second-hand smoke, a terrible smell and an actual open flame.

A JUUL®, however, carries none of these risks. The slight wisp of vapor is almost unnoticeable. The vapor dissipates so quickly. It carries no risk to others in the vicinity for second-hand smoke.

Further, any slight smell released by the vapor is more akin to candle scents than that of burning tobacco.

I am not advocating for the open carry and use of large, laptop-sized vapes which release enough vapor to power a small weather system. Students, faculty and staff should not be creating clouds in the classroom.

I am simply saying the application of the current ban to the extremely unobtrusive device known as a JUUL® is pointless as they neither impact safety nor are a nuisance.

The only person’s health they impact is that of the user, which is well within their rights. JUULs® should not be included in the over-encompassing ban on tobacco products on NSU’s campus.

Trinity Velazquez

Viewpoints Editor

Last year the Food and Drug Administration declared that teen vaping had reached “epidemic proportions.”

For anyone who might not be aware, JUULs® and e-cigarettes are the same thing. JUUL® devices work by heating up a cartridge that contains oils and make a vapor that can be inhaled. According to the company’s website, juul.com, they were designed to help cigarette smokers transition off smoking.

Somehow, JUULs® became a trend. It seemed cool at first, but nothing lasts forever. A 2018 study published in the Pediatrics found that teenagers who smoked e-cigarettes had higher levels of cancer-causing chemicals in their bodies than non-smokers. Although JUULs® are marketed as safer than regular cigarettes, they are not risk-free.

I don’t think JUULs® should be completely banned on campus. Just because something is prohibited doesn’t mean that people are going to stop. It just means that they will find ways around the rule.

I think that JUULs® should be kept under observation since it’s still new.

I don’t mean that students should be watched or tested, but our campus should be a safe place so that if something does happen and the accident is caused by a vape, campus police and other people are already there to help.

That doesn’t mean that students get the chance to go overboard, but it gives students a sense of responsibility with it.

I do think that JUULs® are harmful to users and the people around them. Students around our age are now dying from smoking JUULs®. Think about that.