As a high school junior, I've seen a lot of my classmates and other teenagers vaping in school, public transit, and open public spaces. Along with this, I've read numerous news articles concerning the epidemic of severe and life-threatening vaping-related lung diseases in youth who have used vaping products. Many schools are now implementing vaping detectors in bathrooms to deter students from vaping. The impact of vaping and e-cigarette usage on the American youth is massive - it has to be changed.

One of the main reasons the American youth are so drawn towards vaping is the sheer amount of advertising the companies who design and produce these products put out. As a result, the youth of America are being exposed to these products constantly, often prompting them to consume such products. During the 1970s, President Richard Nixon signed the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act, which banned cigarette advertising on television and radio. This act served as a foundation for future reforms that would reduce the rates of smoking in youth.

A massive public health crisis is sweeping through our nation like wildfire. The most brutal and dangerous part of this crisis is the population it is affecting — the youth of America.

I, as a teenager, pledge to petition to amend the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act of the 70s to include e-cigarettes and vaping products. Additionally, I am calling on streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime that show commericials within their videos to drop e-cigarette and vaping advertising. It truly alarms me to see this epidemic of vaping and e-cigarette related lung illnesses in the youth of America, and I wholeheartedly wish to make a change to this.