A parent has sounded the alarm after finding a disturbing item in their backyard, which was apparently thrown by someone in the public park on the other side of their fence.
The yellow-and-pink pod seems relatively inoffensive at first glance, but they soon found out that it was a disposable vape.
"It looks like a toy," they said in the caption of the photo they posted to the r/mildlyinfuriating subreddit. "These things are already a massively stupid idea, no surprises that people who use them are horrendously irresponsible."
While it's a shocking example of littering and wastefulness, the fact that their toddler plays in the back adds an extra layer of concern to the find.
Vaping is a growing concern, especially among children. According to the World Health Organization, children aged between 13 and 15 are using e-cigarettes at higher rates than adults in all WHO regions. The products contain the drug nicotine, which is highly addictive and can increase the risk of some forms of cancer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also note nicotine can harm brain development, and children who use vapes are more likely to smoke cigarettes later in life.
The vapor inhaled from e-cigarettes and vapes has also been found to contain toxic chemicals, including acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde, according to the American Lung Association.
Another issue is the material these products are made from. Disposable vapes are not often recycled and are typically made from plastic, increasing the production and pollution associated with this harmful material.
Plastic does not degrade naturally and is often found clogging up landfills, where it will contribute to the production of planet-warming gas methane. It is also typically made from petrochemicals, which are harmful to the planet from development to disposal.
For this parent, though, the idea that a toddler might put the vape in their mouth was infuriating.
"Is that what that is?" one Redditor asked. "I found one of those on the floor of my classroom yesterday and just threw it away. I had no idea. I teach 6th grade."
"I just googled these, and it's nuts they are allowed to have the designs they have, when we are currently removing all designs from cigarette packages," another added.
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