As a high school teacher for 30 years and as a concerned parent of two teenage children, I've witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of vaping products on our youth. Young people are lured into nicotine addiction at shockingly young ages due to these products. The ease with which they can be concealed, coupled with their appealing flavours, makes them dangerously attractive to young people.

Nicotine addiction is a powerful force that has been shown to impair cognitive function and learning abilities in adolescents. Moreover, being addicted to nicotine means that the next hit of nicotine is always at the forefront of one's mind. Young people are already disadvantaged by an under-developed frontal lobe, making it particularly difficult for them to ignore impulses or appreciate the future consequences of current actions. Nicotine addiction is therefore extremely dangerous to young people, as it makes it overwhelmingly difficult for them to focus, learn, or pursue the goals required for them to eventually become independent and self-reliant adults.

In Canada alone, there has been a significant increase in vaping among teenagers aged 16-19 years old from 2021-2022 (Statistics Canada). This trend is alarming and needs immediate attention. It's time we prioritize the health and well-being of our children over corporate profits.

We urge the Canadian government to take decisive action by banning the sale and distribution of all vaping products nationwide. If an outright ban is beyond what the government is willing to consider, then we hope it will prohibit the sale of flavoured nicotine vape, and that nicotine vape will be made available only by way of a doctor's prescription. In either case, we must protect our children from falling prey to nicotine addiction at such tender ages. Please join us in the fight against vaping by signing this petition today.

Did you know?

• Vaping may actually be more dangerous than conventional cigarettes, not less.
• Vaping is more addictive than conventional cigarettes, not less.
• Vaping under the age of 19 can permanently reduce a person's bone density and increase their risk of developing osteoporosis.
• Vaping devices are intentionally designed to look like everyday items so that they can be more easily concealed.
• EVALI (E-cigarette Vaping Associated Lung Injury) has a 90 to 95% hospitalization rate.
• Vaping is shockingly quick to damage lungs. Daniel Ament, a 17-year old high school junior from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, required a double lung transplant due to what doctors attributed to vaping-related damage.

Watch the video below to learn more about the unique dangers that vaping poses to young people.