Dear Editor,
One teen, gone. Another, gone. “Seventh person to die from vaping-related illness in U.S. dies in California” now circles the news.
It isn’t only a Canadian problem. It is a worldwide problem. Kids from schools go finding friends they can show their new devices to.
“It’s better than smoking,” or “it isn’t possible to die from it.” So, they hand it over to their friend to try. They go and buy one, and find another friend to hand it off to. It hasn’t stopped.
Now we have kids dying. Even after all the deaths, we, as kids, don’t understand. We think it can’t happen to us, right? Because we’re somehow immune to all the negative things that can happen to everyone… but us.
Parents are not buying their own kids vapes as gifts. No, that does not make parents cool. Their own kids are dying slowly because of it. Kids and teenagers are killing themselves and don’t even know it. I’m sure nobody wants that.
The community, country and world are thinking constantly about other problems, but these are the lives of children. So what can we do to stop children from using these dangerous devices?
Reagen B.
Editor’s note: Writing 11 students of Walnut Grove Secondary teacher Vince Rahn were tasked with opinion writing, finding it’s more difficult to put down reasoned arguments than simply tossing out cliches or venting.
“They were able to choose any current relevant topic,” Rahn explained.
Students were graded based on how they presented their information and arguments. The assignment also included having to hand write the pieces and send them to the Langley Advance Times via snail mail, an experience fewer and fewer young people have nowadays. It mirrors an assignment he gave to his students many years ago, before the internet and social media.
“Yes, I have done this quite some time ago, but this time I insisted that they go ‘old school’ and put into an envelope with a cover letter, etc.,” he explained.
Please keep any feedback respectful and age appropriate.