Many government agencies, notably the Food and Drug Administration, are worried about the rise of e-cigarettes among young people. The FDA has even stated that the problem is an epidemic.

A junior from the Tempe School District, Brach Drew agrees with this assessment. Drew and fellow students have created an anti-vape group and started a campaign called “Vanish the Vape” to address the growing issue.

“Today when I went into the bathroom I saw what I can only describe as a giant ball of vape,” says Drew. “Everyone is doing it.”

The Arizona Department of Health Services is expected to launch a campaign in December against e-cigarettes.

Arizona is also going to continue sting efforts that target business selling e-cigarettes to underage buyers.

“We’re assuming the worst. While cigarette use is going down, we’re assuming e-cigarette use here is going up, just as it is nationally. We’re concerned that it will become of epidemic proportions in Arizona,” says Wayne Tormala, the chief of the Bureau of Tobacco and Chronic Disease.

The most prevalent issue with vaping is that young people see it as safe behavior because they believe vape to be like air; they don’t believe it’s harmful. State officials are trying to spread information about the ingredients in vape smoke and the negative effects of vaping.

“We know that most vape products contain heavy concentrations of nicotine, which is addictive. The addictive aspect is very strong,” he says.

The CDC also says that e-cigarettes are unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.

Even though e-cigarettes are illegal for underage buyers, minors are still finding ways to obtain them. Many minors ask another student who is 18 or over to buy e-cigarettes. There are also some shops that sell to minors.

There are even some students that, when they turn 18, buy e-cigarettes in bulk and sell them to underage students for profit.