Context: This was the second paper for this particular conference. It was written by me for my second major delegate-based conference, and the stakes were pretty high (it's one of the largest inter-school conferences; very advanced + one of the oldest high-school MUN conferences in the country + popular amongst a lot of GEMS Indian schools). I ended up winning 1st Best Delegate, 2nd Best Position Paper, and 3rd Best Speech (in my first year as a 9th grader), one of the youngest to ever pull off this feat.
[Committee: United Nations Office On Drugs and Crime
Delegation: Canada
Agenda: Popularization Of Vapes Amongst Young Adults]
'“Quitting smoking might be the hardest thing to do in life, but at least you will have one.” – Anonymous
In today’s world, we can see an explosion in the
popularity of certain materials and/or substances which has slowly (yet
steadily) taken over the current generation of youth. This vile substance has
gripped the lives of many teenagers and young adults with its smooth Apple-like
appearance, cool flavours, and the influence of peer pressure. Vape has caused
all of this and we, the delegation of Canada, are here to solve this problem.
According to the CBC, it consists of an atomizer
which vaporizes an e-liquid into an aerosol (that contains nicotine) which the
user then inhales. Some myths that commonly abide in this conjuncture are:
1) 1) Vaping is better than cigarettes.
Vapes have some chemicals which are dangerous when
present in substances, and even more so if heated. Added to the fact that 1
vape usage has nicotine amounts equivalent to 1 pack of cigarettes, you could
not classify vaping as safe. Nicotine also has mind-altering properties, which
is especially dangerous for teenagers, who could be hooked for life.
2) 2) Vaping is neither addictive nor expensive.
Science (and economics) could have not disagreed
more with this point. Nicotine is a very addictive substance, which is a
stimulant and a depressant. It directly gives you pleasure, making you crave
for more. Vaping is also expensive (USD$600/year).
3) 3) Vaping will help people quit smoking.
In actuality, research does not support this
notion. On the other hand, vapers tend to start smoking themselves.
Some statistics are required at this crossroads. 27% of high school
e-cigarette users and 8% of middle school users admitted to vaping daily, based
on a 2021 survey. The United States has 9
million people who regularly vape, giving up the highest number of vaping
consumers in the world. Teens between 15 and 17
years have a 1600% higher chance of using vapes than adults between 25 and 34
do. The activity increased among seniors the most, from 11% to 25%. This proves
that vaping has been a bane to our society and Canada wholeheartedly opposes
the promulgation of vaping.
Now the question may arise in the readers’ heads as
to why Canada has the legitimate right to tell the world how to solve a vaping
epidemic internationally when Canada is a babe-in-the-woods in this very
subject. We assert that we have the legitimate right to speak because the
nation of Canada has dealt first-hand with these substances and skilfully
solved these problems. We have introduced laws within the country to reduce the
amount of nicotine in the aerosol, reduce the flavours provided to just tobacco
and mint/menthol, invest USD$13 million in a nation-wide campaign against
vaping (and as a result, caused a 26% reduce in new cases of vaping) and make
it illegal to purchase vape products under 21. Hence, we have set up the
platform upon which we speak and challenge the world to resolve these
challenges.
With these issues at hand, we would like to propose
some solutions to alleviate the complications that have been caused up till
now. Thus, we would like to put forth some solutions, keeping in mind all sides
of the conflict. The following measures are:
- Calls
upon all governments to tighten control over sale of vapes by:
a) Banning the sale of a vast majority of flavours in
the industry of vaping in order to discourage new cases in getting into vape,
b) Increase tariffs and taxes on the import and export
of these kind of materials (relating to vapes) in order to discourage the
proliferation of vaping,
- Calls
up on all non-state actors to improve upon the following criterion:
a) The advertising system should be revamped in order
to make sure that the youth of today are not targeted by preying salesmen who
many to make them vape,
b) The system of sanctions placed on companies who
produce vaping materials should be exponentially decreased in order to avert a
major crisis for the whole world.
The delegation of Canada would like to conclude by
stating that the task in front of us is not easy and we will face challenges,
but we believe that together, we can solve these challenges permanently and for
good.
Bibliography:
1) https://childmind.org/article/teen-vaping-what-you-need-to-know/
2) https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/about-e-cigarettes.html
3) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette
4) https://www.thelinkottawa.ca/en/alcohol-drugs-and-tobacco/vaping-myths.aspx
5) https://www.mpowerwellness.com/blog/vaping-statistics
6) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/preventing/vaping.html
7) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/vaping/risks.html
8) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/smoking-tobacco/vaping.html
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