Some WJ students have learned about vape pens or hookah pens, and think they are better for your health than cigarettes. Although this myth may not be totally inaccurate, there are some key facts people miss when inhaling the flavored vapor.

Vaporizer Pens, also known as vape pens, are rechargeable pens with a special liquid that is heated up to the point of vaporizing. The liquid comes in flavors ranging from Chocolate Bliss to Blackberry Lemonade. The secret to smoking vapes and not getting hurt , is not to buy the liquids with nicotine. When thinking about cigarettes, people tend to connect the idea of nicotine and smoking as if they were the exact same thing, when in reality, it is specifically tobacco that contains nicotine. Nicotine is addictive, but there are some benefits to using it, such as helping smokers focus more on the task at hand. Nicotine is one of the 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes, but is not one of the 43 known cancer-causing compounds in cigarettes.

“I love my vape pen, because it has helped me quit smoking. I focus on the taste of the flavors instead of  the cigarette I’m craving,” said junior Jill Kemper.

Secondhand smoking is taking in the smoke from the other side of the cigarette. This could be anyone from a smoker who prefers to smoke without a filter to someone who is sitting near a smoker unknowingly inhaling the smoke.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has found “an estimated 42,000 deaths from heart disease in people who are current non-smokers and about 7,000 lung cancer deaths in non-smoking adults.”

Though some people have been led to believe that secondhand smoke is worse than mainstream smoke, it has not been scientifically proven yet. 

There are many different types of vape pens, there’s the most basic one that can cost as low as $8, and the most expensive can cost into the hundreds.

“One great thing about vape pens is that you get more out of the liquid then out of a of a pack of jacks. The nicotine liquids can cost a little more though,” said sophomore James Keller.

Starting on  June 1, Montgomery County will be making it illegal to smoke vape pens where smoking cigarettes is prohibited. On the same day, a 30 percent tax will be placed on all vape products. This tax isn’t anything new though, there is already a 30 percent tax on cigarettes, but it will make the products a bit more expensive for people to buy.

The cost of a pack of cigarettes ranges from $6 to $9, while the most basic vape pen can hold up to 1.6mL, and are sold at $8 a pen. One bottle of vapor liquid usually ranges from $7.50 to $20 and contain 15mL of liquids. This means that instead of paying $7.50 for a pack of 20 cigarettes, you are paying around $15 for 10 refills of the pen, but it lasts a lot longer for every fill.

Although they may cost more, some people have tried to use vape pens to stop smoking. The main goal for them is to avoid using the vape pen with the nicotine liquid to stop smoking and then becoming addicted to vape pen nicotine instead of the cigarettes.