Junior and avid vape enthusiast Daniel Smith Vapes along the sidestreet Telluride near Rangeview Highschool. 

By Vincent Tran, Reporter

Vape pens and electronic cigarettes have recently taken the world by storm, becoming a use of technology that is fun, and also replaces the form of traditional smoking. Everywhere you go it’s easy to come across someone using a vape pen. Vape shops can be found almost every block downtown now.

So what makes vape pens so popular? They are refillable, rechargeable, and customizable. Vape pens are filled with, “Juice” or “E-liquid” varying in different flavors. Thousands of flavors can be found online, from a combination of exotic fruits, to your favorite Girl Scout cookies. While Vaping may seem like fun and games, the art of Vaping comes with many health benefits that could eventually lead to a healthier life.

When Vape Pens were first introduced a few years back they were a considered a relatively new way to deliver nicotine. The use of e-liquid is turned into vapor that contained different levels of nicotine from as much as 18 mg to as little as 0mg of nicotine. Those who are on the road to quitting nicotine can slowly adjust their nicotine levels, lowering them at a pace that best suits them, making Vaping a great method to quit smoking. With an abundance of flavors to choose from, the process is made easier and more exciting. The American Association of Public Health Physicians (AAPHP) even suggest going to Vape Pens as effective, unconventional method to quitting smoking.

“I hope that this is going somewhere, I really do. I hope that in 20 years we won’t see anyone smoking, I’d rather see everyone vaping,” Says Junior Daniel Smith.” I want awareness to be brought that vaping isn’t bad for you and doesn’t have the same negative health effects that cigarettes have.”

E-Juice contains only 4 main components in their formula (vegetable glycerin, flavoring, Propylene glycol and optional nicotine) this compared to over  4000 harmful chemicals that are found in cigarettes make Vape almost 400 times less toxic than cigarettes. Vape Pens contain no tar, optional nicotine, and are more cost effective than cigarettes are. Most of these ingredients can be found daily in the foods that we eat.

The community of Vapors is growing at an extremely fast rate, from websites to blogs, and even vape competitions. Rangeview is no stranger to the vape community as it consists of many student vapers and the owners of, “Oak Vape.”, a Vape company owned by Rangview’s own Daniel Smith and Jonathan Sullivan. Their company includes their own handmade, Colorado inspired E-Juices that they mix themselves. With names such as, “Peak” and “D-Town”.

Co-Owner Daniel Smith said, “At first, it was a way to escape tobacco, but sooner or later it became a hobby. It’s become a part of my daily life. I want to help others by getting more people to vape and move away from smoking cigarettes.”

With an ever growing community of vapers worldwide and here at Rangeview High School, Vape Pens follow many similar Laws and policies that cigarettes do.  Although there are many health differences between the two, many states consider the use of a Vape Pen the same as traditional smoking; therefore it is only permitted in designated smoking areas. But many vapers follow the general rule of common courtesy, such as if kids are present or in a public building, they probably  shouldn’t vape. But What about Vaping on school property? What are the policies on that?

Rangeview High School has strict policies on smoking. In regards to cigarettes, there is one place designated for Rangeview smokers, and that is the fence that travels along Telluride. Any other smoking of illegal substances such as marijuana are subject to expulsion from the Aurora Public Schools district.

According to the Dean of Students Mr.Anderson, vape pens and electronic cigarettes are under the same policy as smoking illegal substances.

“If you are caught smoking from a vape pen or an electronic cigarette on school property, your vape pen will be confiscated and you will be suspended and eligible for expulsion,” said Mr. Anderson. “The reason why we have to be so strict on Vape Pens and this new technology is because we are unaware of the substances in the Pens. They can be modified to transport illegal drugs into your body and not just e-juice. With cigarettes and illegal drugs it is easy to distinguish what the substance is right away, but with these electronics we don’t know what is in them so that is why we have to crack down on this issue.”

The vaping scene is on track to reach new heights in the next few years, potentially becoming more of a phenomenon then it already is.