Lately, there’s something almost beautiful about how much we want to belong. How we follow tiny rituals that quietly say, “I fit in too.” Sometimes, it’s sneakers. Other times, it’s playlists. These days, in Kigali, it’s vaping. It’s become standard to see tiny pastel clouds floating at concerts, outside coffee shops, and at parties after work. Vapes—neat, easy, and sweet. They don’t hang heavily like cigarettes used to. They feel lighter. They smell like fruit or vanilla or mint instead of burnt tobacco. Some even come with little charms or fancy chargers. And maybe that’s what makes them so easy to love. But even though vapes don’t stain your fingers yellow, and you don’t smell like your grandfather after two puffs, they’re still slipping chemicals deep into your lungs. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that, especially when it feels like everyone else is doing it too. ALSO READ: Electronic cigarettes: Are they a safer alternative? And it’s strange, isn’t it? How history almost always circles back. There was a time—ask your parents, your older cousins—when cigarettes were symbols too; of power, rebellion, glamour. You weren’t cool unless you had one dangling from your fingers at a party, half-smoked and forgotten while you told some story. You know, when every movie, music video, and distant uncle made smoking look like the ultimate badge of sophistication! It didn’t matter if you were the CEO of a multi-million-dollar company or just that cousin who was repeating senior six for the third time. Cigarettes were the great equalizer. Light up, and suddenly, you were cultured. Enlightened. Mysterious—cue in generations of people hacking up their lungs, cancer rates soaring. The warning labels came later. The hospital visits came later. The “I wish I had quit sooner” stories came later. Now, we know better. Now, we have pink vapes instead. Different shapes, but same old dangers. I’m not here to tell anyone what to do, or want to be the buzzkill of youthfulness. Life already has enough heavy voices shouting down from every direction. All I’m saying is: take a second look at what you’re normalizing. We all have our small comforts, but vaping isn’t just better than smoking. It’s its own risk. ALSO READ: 30% of Rwandans exposed to tobacco smoke at home, study shows Let’s get into the science bit (don’t worry, I’ll make it painless). Using an e-cigarette is called vaping because it involves inhaling a vapor. But it’s not just “water vapor”, it's a cocktail of nicotine (a highly addictive toxin), propylene glycol (yes, the stuff in antifreeze), flavorings, and a sprinkle of other mystery chemicals that harm your lungs. These sleek gadgets heat the liquid until it becomes an aerosol that you breathe deep into your lungs. Fun fact (and by fun, I mean mildly terrifying): Some of the chemicals released in vaping include stuff you usually find in cleaning products and bug sprays. Yes, bug sprays. Bon appétit. And for “it’s safer than smoking!” defence, jumping out of a second-floor window hurts less than jumping from the fifth floor, but your legs are still broken either way. And it’s not just your body that pays the price. Nicotine, especially when you’re young, rewires your brain in ways you don’t always feel right away. It reshapes how you think, learn, and focus. It affects your attention span, your resilience, your sharpness. I get it, though. It’s hard to hold fear in one hand and freedom in the other. It’s hard to see the danger when it’s wrapped in such a small, cute, Insta-chic package. ALSO READ: Higher taxes on beer and cigarettes: A win for public health, not just revenue Just the other week, my friend, who consented to me sharing the information, was happy because her boyfriend gifted her a custom vape device. Purple, because it’s her favorite color. Her favorite verse etched on the side. Guys, it was so cute, it’s Pinterest material. Except it's just a pretty poison. And yes, I said this to her face: Sure, we’re all going to die. But must it be of a slow, wheezy, preventable kind of death? I vote no. Vaping has been tied to lung injuries (there’s even a cute medical acronym for it: EVALI — e-cigarette, or vaping product use-associated with lung injury). It messes with your heart, increases your blood pressure, can lead to a fast nicotine addiction, and even harms the people breathing around you through secondhand vapor. I know in Kigali we share, but we can do without this! Oh, and if you think you’re being all responsible by sticking to good quality or official vapes, first, bless your optimism, but second, even those contain nicotine, metals, and a rainbow of toxins. The bottom line is: your lungs were made for oxygen, not vanilla blast deluxe. You might say, “At least it’s helping people quit cigarettes!” Fair point, except most people aren’t quitting. They're just swapping one addiction for another. If you’re already vaping, this isn’t a guilt trip. If you’re thinking about it, this isn’t a lecture. It’s just a small tap on the shoulder. A reminder: One day, the trends will shift again. The pastel devices will lose their shine. New habits will replace old ones. But your body and brain? It’s the only one you get. Hold onto it like it matters, because it does. In the end, if you ask me, the real flex isn’t how trendy you were. It’s being healthy enough to annoy your grandkids someday. Choose your legends wisely, Kigali.
