Student launches group to warn about dangers of vaping
By Scott Gelman
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FAIRFAX COUNTY, Virginia (WTOP) — As an older sister herself, Rujvi Thakkar was struck by a question she was asked during a presentation she gave about the dangers of vaping.
When the Langley High School senior goes into schools to sound the alarm about how dangerous the trend can be, attendees often raise their hands and share personal stories, or talk one-on-one when the presentation concludes. On one occasion, a middle schooler raised his hand and expressed concern about his sister vaping.
He tried to ask Thakkar about how to get someone to stop. She immediately became sad, and reinforced a point she made during the event — addiction is a mental disorder, and worried friends and family members can rarely force someone to quit. The person has to want it, Thakkar said, and they have to approach it with the right mindset.
Thakkar launched ClearLungs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangerous vaping and nicotine trends, in April. It came in response to the amount of vaping she saw in the community and school, specifically where many students encountered their peers vaping in bathrooms.
“Vaping and nicotine addiction is very harmful,” Thakkar said. “It can really drive you into this cycle that will affect you for a very, very long time.”
Thakkar told WTOP that she spent last summer spreading that message. Because school was out, she focused on talking in gyms and at athletic programs. More recently, she spoke to hundreds of Caroline County students and worked with free clinics there.
The project started on social media, and the approach has proven to be beneficial. Her TikTok account now has over 20,000 followers, and a recent video about the impact vaping has on digestion has been viewed over 400,000 times.
As part of her social media presence, Thakkar launched a campaign called “Share your Story.” Many of the responses are from adults who are attempting to quit.
“Vaping comes in fun colors and fun flavors,” Thakkar said. “And a lot of people forget that you’re still inhaling this chemical into your lungs that’s going to damage your lungs.”
But, she said, nicotine immediately starts to change your brain chemistry and “addiction is a brain disorder. It is so dangerous to come out of, and it affects you not just in your high school, maybe your college life or work life in the future, but years down the road when you’re facing health issues.”
Thakkar spent hours over the summer preparing brochures and other materials, and she’s hoping to continue the project after she graduates.
“Because vaping is so new, a lot of young people don’t know how damaging it could be to your body,” Thakkar said. “Therefore, they kind of see it as something to do for fun.”
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