The new trend among today’s youth includes vaping and e-cigarettes have evolved into an epidemic amongst future generations. The article “Your Teen Is Underestimating the Health Risks of Vaping” by Kathleen Raven presents the facts of vaping and e-cigarettes that are often misunderstood and ignored, and how these new forms of smoking are directly linked to various health risks, and a greater chance of cigarette smoking. In this paper I will analyze how the mechanisms used by the author such as organization and tone were to target and persuade the intended audience to take action on this issue, while still presenting the facts relating to vaping and e-cigarettes. Throughout this article the author  thoroughly explains the terms used and associated, discusses the facts, and explains the negative impacts vaping has on future generations.

Today’s youth pick up new trends so frequently making it difficult for parents to keep up, the author Kathleen Raven uses her article as a way to educate concerned parents, and provide beneficial information to strengthen their understanding on such a crucial topic. It is evident that the target audience of this article are parents with teenage children, therefore the author provides clear definitions of terms associated with vaping and e-cigarettes. The author is aware that the audience she is seeks to reach may not be aware of some of the terms and mechanics of vaping, so she provides a descriptive explanation of words such as pods, tanks, vape pens, and much more while also explaining the different techniques and methods used. Raven also elaborates on the role vapor plays in e-cigarettes and vapes and how this vapor is created and inhaled. Raven explains the electronic component, liquid substance, and chemicals all involved in the process. Before getting into the depth of the article, the author made sure to explain the basics of this concept to avoid the reader running into any confusion later on in the article. Within this article there were some jargon associated with vaping such as pod mod, unicorn puke, vape pens, and much more but because the author knew the audience may not be familiar with these terms she provided definitions to strengthen the audience’s understanding of the concept. By shining a light on such a prevalent issue, through this article the author educated parents of a trend that has become a crisis among teens. Raven supplies parents with the information they need to protect their children from the dangers of such smoking devices, that teens may not be aware of.

After the components of vaping were explained, the author uses concrete facts to unfold the discrepancy between the actual effects of vaping and those portrayed to the public, especially the youth. One of the main misconceptions of vaping are that it is not harmful or addictive, but the article addresses these points with factual supporting evidence. As stated by Raven (2018) since e-cigarettes contain less harsh chemicals than regular cigarettes many people do not consider it to be harmful, but these e-cigarettes do have the addictive nicotine substance within them. Although Raven has a clear opposition to vaping especially among today’s use, she still provides factual evidence that assures the article is not bias. She demonstrates evidence to support her claim, and still ensures the article is informative by making it known that actual cigarettes are indeed proven to be more harmful than e-cigarettes and vaping. Though this is true she emphasizes that despite the fact that vaping and e-cigarettes may be less harmful, both do have accompanying short term risk factors that can potentially progress into long term risk factors. Raven’s use of credible references such as The New England Journal of Medicine, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Cancer Institute (NCI), and reports from various doctors that have conducted studies concerning the topic, all demonstrate that this article is a credible source, that the reader’s can trust. In the article Raven stated “Eleven percent of high school seniors, 8 percent of 10th-graders, and 3.5 percent of eighth-graders reported vaping with nicotine in a one month period, according to a national survey released from the University of Michigan late last year”. The use of this statistical information illustrates how much of a crucial threat this trend has become to our youth, and advises parents to take action before their children have to face possible health risks and potential addictions. The tone of this article is informative because it provides direct factual evidence and information relating to the issue, but the author’s position on the topic is clearly opposed to vaping especially done by teens, and is advising parents of the risks associated with vaping and e-cigarette smoking.

As vaping and e-cigarettes have taken a rise, so have the potential risk factors associated with the trends. By presenting the effects of vaping, Kathleen Raven uses supporting evidence to explain why parents of teens should protect their children from the potential dangers and risks associated with vaping. According to Raven (2018) one of the greatest concerns of vaping are the effects nicotine can have on adolescent development. Nicotine can impose future health risks impairing brain development, the respiratory system, and can possibly result to a nicotine addiction. Nicotine is one of the most commonly used and addictive drug in the United States, it can have detrimental effects on the behavior and learning of teens. Due to nicotine the addictive substance in vaping tools, there is a higher risk that teens will potentially result to cigarette smoking which has even more health risks associated with it such as cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and more. Teens take part in vaping to follow trends and simply because they are not aware of the damaging effects it can have, and this is why the author strongly advises that parents educate themselves and their children to prevent another generation of cigarette smokers.

In all, Kathleen Raven’s mechanic use of organization and tone within the article is what draws in the attention of the reader. She uses relatable subtitles as well as an alarming article title to draw in her audience, while providing reliable information. The overall purpose of the article is to inform the reader on the concept of vaping and e-cigarettes how it works, the potential health risks vaping imposes on today’s youth, and how to educate their children of these health dangers. Overall the author is successful at providing an adequate amount of information to her audience while maintaining an informative tone and structured presentation of her claims.

Work Cited

Raven, Kathleen. “Your Teen Is Underestimating the Health Risks of Vaping.” Yale Medicine,     …..www.yalemedicine.org/stories/teen-vaping/.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. “Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products.” NIDA,   …..www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/cigarettes-other-tobacco-products.