Student Heeds Air Quality Warning, Vapes Inside

TORONTO -- On Wednesday, July 15, wildfire smoke blanketed Toronto, turning the city into Arrakis. Emergency air quality warnings were issued across the city, urging residents to stay indoors. Second year Ethics, Society, & Law student Jasmin Kaufman immediately complied, opting to take shelter inside for her respiratory health. Once safely out of harm’s way, Kaufman reportedly reached for her watermelon ice vape, sighing with relief. She could finally breathe in air she could trust. 

Having successfully protected her lungs, Kaufman spent her afternoon ‘educating’ people on the difference between ‘bad chemicals’ and ‘researched chemicals’ via TikTok Live. She assured viewers that while she trusted Environment Canada’s advice on the wildfire smoke, she had reached an independent conclusion on vaping. 

“I actually switched from cigarettes because the research says that vaping is a healthier alternative,” Kaufman tells the Boundary, referencing an article she admitted to only reading the abstract of. “People keep saying ‘less harmful’ doesn’t equate to it being ‘healthy,’ but that’s only true if you accept a very rigid definition of health, which I don’t.”

In the interest of journalistic integrity, The Boundary would like to clarify that Kaufman’s interpretation of the article is not supported by the actual article itself. With further review, the article proposes that vaping does indeed have similar effects as smoking cigarettes, emphasizing that long-term effects are unknown. Kaufman maintains that the authors were “too close to the data to see the bigger picture.”