I asked a group of teenagers why they vape.
I expected excuses.
What I got instead was honesty I wasn’t ready for.

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Of course I’ve heard about vaping. However, I’ve never indulged myself. Nor have I done any research on the matter of vaping.

Like with other harmful illicit drugs in the past, such as K-2, our youth are now being heavily drawn to the vaping trend. Sadly, it’s not inaccessible to them. Even our youngest children can purchase a vape pen from smoke shops and other locales that sell them.

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I asked a young man not old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes, “how are you able to buy a vape pin” and “where do you buy them”?

He said, “as long as you look old enough you can get them.”

As an adult, a caring adult, one who sees himself in the youth he serves, and one who wants to teach and protect the youth he serves, I don’t want to believe it’s that easy to obtain. Though with the high number of kids getting caught with vapes in elementary, middle and high school classrooms alike, I believe him.

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At a recent town hall meeting held at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore, Maryland, States Attorney Ivan Bates spoke to the concern of smoke shops and juveniles. These smoke shops are opening their doors in large numbers throughout the city. It seems as if there’s no regulation or a very simplified process in gaining permits and the proper documentation to open a smoke shop.

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As I attempted to learn more about why our youth are so engulfed in vaping, an 18-year-old male stated, “vaping is like a chaser to a drink.”

I don’t mean any harm, but that was a vivid analogy to me. Though I don’t presently indulge in alcohol consumption, I immediately understood what he meant.

He continued, “it’s the flavors in the vape that draws us.”

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I tried to pull everything from my mental rolodex to give them a word to discourage their indulging in vaping and smoking.

I told them “Hey y’all know that’s a gateway to more harmful drugs”?

I went as far back as the Nancy Reagan “just say no to drugs” campaign. Then I showed them the video of the egg. And said, “this is your brain on drugs.”

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When I asked them “why do y’all smoke”?

They each said, “to escape my problems.”

Kids, age range from 14 to 18 said, “to escape our problems.”

That answer stopped me.

Not because I didn’t expect it—
But because of how young they were when they said it.

You and I probably can’t fathom the problems our young people encounter daily. But let me tell you, some of our children are living in dire circumstances.

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This is why mentorship matters.

Because before we can stop the behavior, we have to understand the pain behind it.

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Now granted, some kids are just following the “cool” crowd into harmful and detrimental activities. Not understanding the perils these slippery slopes can lead to.

Then there are some who are just trying to find a way to escape.

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Vaping and smoking weed is a serious concern for our youth. However, of greater concern to me are the problems they’re encountering and trying to escape at such a young age.

What are they running away from?
Who’s exposing them to the issues and concerns they feel they must be inebriated to confront?

In addition to targeting and holding smoke shops accountable, what else can we do to save our children?
Who else must we hold accountable in saving our children?

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If we only focus on the vape, we miss the pain.
If we only punish the behavior, we ignore the reason behind it.

Our children aren’t just looking for a high—
They’re looking for relief.