In 1973, the band Brownsville Station released the song Smokin' in the Boys' Room. At the time, nearly half of Canadian adults and teens smoked. Reports had been coming out for a number of years about how dangerous tobacco use is, but smoking was still seen as the "cool" thing to do.
Over the next several decades, the medical evidence became quite clear. Two thirds of smokers would die due to their use of tobacco. Legislation changed and we were not allowed to smoke in buses, on planes, in restaurants, at work or at any public place. Smoking lost its "cool" appeal, and by 2017 less than 15 per cent of the overall population smoked and less than eight per cent of Canadian teens used tobacco regularly.
There was no more "smokin' in the boys' room" because smoking was strictly forbidden on school property for everyone.
Life expectancies in many countries were increasing and it seemed like humanity had turned a new page in health consciousness.
Then came vaping.
Over the last several years. this has become commonplace among teens and young adults. Today, roughly 23 per cent of high school age Canadians vape and this has become a serious issue in our educational system. Where it was relatively easy to catch students smoking tobacco in school due to the smell and type of smoke, vaping products merely cause a bit of vapor which dissipates quickly. Students vape in washrooms and they are very hard to catch. Alarm systems are available and are being considered, but it needs to be determined as to whether their use would be in violation of students' civil liberties.
How did we get into this mess and what can we do about it?
Vaping products came onto the market relatively recently and advertisers tell us they help people quit smoking cigarettes. They are also presented as less harmful and legally they fill a niche in the market where there is a lack of legislation. They are generally sleek and easy to conceal and the cost of these products has been dropping dramatically.
They are also sold everywhere. If teens are unable to buy them in stores due to age restrictions, they can often buy them online.
In addition, the nicotine liquid used in vaping products is available in many fun flavours, from mango to bubblegum. They appeal to young people, who are largely unaware of the ease of addiction or of any other health dangers. In fact, I have heard students say, "Vaping isn't bad for you like cigarettes."
To be honest, I have found it difficult to counter this argument because there is little hard evidence as to the risks of vaping. According to Health Canada, "the long-term consequences of vaping are unknown."
Perhaps the greatest concern is that vaping may alter teen brain development. If we do not act quickly, we could potentially have a whole new generation of adults addicted to nicotine.
So what can we do? The good news is that we have been down this road before. Hard medical facts, advertising restrictions and effective legislation greatly reduced the percentage of people who smoked. We were also able to create a change in public perception; cigarettes went from being "cool" to being "nasty."
We can do the same with regard to vaping but we need to remember that corporations which have invested in vaping products are taking every opportunity available to create lifelong customers and they are very good at marketing.
The future is clearly in our hands. Parents, educators, medical professionals and legislators need to get together with effective counter programs in order to assure that "vapin' in the boys' room" also becomes a thing of the past.
-- Gerry Chidiac is a champion for social enlightenment, inspiring others to find their greatness in making the world a better place. For more of his writings, go to www.gerrychidiac.com.
