Dear Vape Companies…
After years of countless anti-smoking advertisements, lessons in school, and a certificate for completing D.A.R.E. in fifth grade, I never would have thought that I would be addicted to a piece of plastic, but here we are! There is no one to blame but the vape companies, who undoubtedly market their product to a young audience.
In 2018, the biggest rise in vaping came. Some kids in my class paid an embarrassing amount of money for their first JUUL, and it has been downhill ever since. Of course, if you do research, vaping was marketed as an aid to help people stop smoking cigarettes.
The problem? These companies made the alternative to smoking mango flavored, and young minds everywhere were hooked almost immediately.
Nobody could convince me that vaping was created to help people. When you make a product and give the packaging ombre colors with fun flavors like Apple Pie, Skittles, and Dulce de Leche (yes, these are actual flavors), there is a clear target audience, and it's not adults!
Somewhere down the line, I disregarded all the dangers of smoking and bought my first vape. It was a Tropical fruit-flavored Fume, and if I could punch my 17-year-old self in the face for buying it, I would.
My addiction only got worse when I came to college. I no longer had to hide my vape underneath all my hats at the top of my closet so that my Mom couldn't find it (she still found it anyway). The sense of freedom was jarring but exciting, and I was meeting people from all different backgrounds who also had a vape on them at all times.
The culture of a college student goes hand in hand with having a drink in one hand and a vape in the other. When you're surrounded by vapes, no matter where you are, quitting seems inconsequential.
The truth is, you have to want to quit. I had countless failed attempts to quit vaping, and the common factor was always that I did not want to stop.
Here I am today, after nearly four years of vaping, and I have finally decided to take on the journey of quitting vaping. It has not been easy, and just like any path to making a change in life, I have messed up a few times, but I have finally sat with myself and decided it is time.
Most importantly, vaping has become embarrassing. Of course, there is no shade or judgment if you are reading this with a Mint Ice Fume in your hand. In fact, I'm a little jealous, but as I get older, I realize that I don't want to be the guy who has to leave the dinner table to run to the bathroom to hit my vape.
I sat with a pen and a piece of paper, trying to roughly estimate the amount of money I had spent on vaping. I almost threw up at the sight of the four-digit number I came up with. That alone was enough to tell me I was making the right decision.
We live in a world where, even though vaping is surrounding us, there are just as many outlets and programs to help you.
If you're reading this in Florida, the state has a fantastic program called Tobacco Free Florida, which has been my saving grace. It offers coaches, free nicotine patches, and nicotine gum that can be sent to your front door.
The most imperative lesson I learned was that everyone's path to their goal differs. I was getting upset with myself for hitting a vape, whether I was at work or the bar, but I reminded myself that I had already made immense progress. For what it's worth, I have not owned a vape in nearly two months.
If this article sounds like a hate article to vape companies everywhere, that's because it is. Even though I am still so mad at my past self for getting addicted to something so avoidable, I am doing my best to reverse the damage already done. That's something worth celebrating.
Put the vape down, and Strike out,
Matthew Wolfe
Boca Raton
Matty Wolfe is a Content Writer for Strike Magazine Boca. As a lover of nature and the ocean, you can probably find him sunbathing at the beach or finding a new hiking trail. If you ever do find him inside, he'll be indulging in Lana Del Rey's discography or watching old Survivor seasons. You can reach him by email at mattheww0507@gmail.com or on Instagram @mattyywolfe.
