Logical Reasoning Questions for CLAT | QB Set 58

New-age gateway devices, the latest health threat

What happens when a portrayed healthy alternative turns out to be more dangerous than the original? This is precisely what is happening with new-age gateway devices such as e-cigarettes, vaping pens, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, or ENDS, heat-not-burn (HNB) devices and other heated tobacco products (HTPs). All these devices were portrayed to offer a healthier alternative to smoking that would make it easier to quit tobacco. But the reality is quite different. Instead, they have caused a public health crisis, causing physical harm and affecting the mental well-being of children.

A new pandemic

Instead of helping people quit tobacco, the manufacturers of these new-age gateway devices have discovered a lucrative market – children. This has led to a surge in youth vaping, creating a new pandemic. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2023, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product among middle and high school students in United States, with 2.1 million youth school students (10.0%) and an estimated 5,500,000 (4.6%) middle and high school students who use any kind of tobacco product. These devices are supposed to offer a healthier and modern smoking experience, but instead are causing mental health issues and exposing them to potential long term health consequences.

Children have been lured into trying vaping products attached to e-cigarettes and various ENDS by the targeted marketing of high impact social media, endorsement by popular influencers, and celebrity representation. In addition to alleged predatory marketing, there are easy and ready loopholes in the Indian market, contributing to increased access to these devices even for minors.

First, children are increasingly susceptible to engaging in behavior that carries a more significant consequence later in life. The pressure, once an adolescent concern, for engaging in distracting activities and developing addictive tendencies, has shifted, with even those under 10 years of age now showing signs of vulnerability. The age group most at risk remains between 10 and 20 years old, a demographic that manufacturers allegedly exploit through appealing advertising and enticing vaping flavours.

The colourful imagery created by these new-age gateway devices suggests that these products will bring happiness and elevate one’s social status in the lives of targeted children. In their eagerness to fit in, children often prioritise peer preferences over their own, leading them to embrace vaping and other harmful behaviours. Those who vape are more likely to experience feelings of loneliness and social isolation when compared to peers who abstain from these. These psychological factors contribute to a troubling surge in children taking up various addictive devices such as vapes and e-cigarettes.

A gateway to danger

The second aspect is the impact that such habits might have on the physical and mental well-being of children. While physical impacts such as lung disease and lung injury (EVALI) have become more apparent, they often sit in the spotlight of debates regarding the regulation of these new-age gateway devices.

The Australian Institute of Family Studies, an Australian Government agency, notes negative mental health effects on children using these devices, such as increased levels of anxiety, negative attitudes towards academic achievement, more stress, sadness, suicide-related behaviours and episodes, and skewed factors involving more positive attitudes towards vaping and parental smoking. E-cigarettes are highly addictive, particularly for individuals up to around the age of 25. This is a developmental stage which makes them especially vulnerable to structural and chemical changes induced by nicotine addiction. Once addiction takes root, it can increase the likelihood of developing other substance use disorders later in life, creating a cycle.

What is inside these new-age gateway devices that is causing more addiction?

Survey’s findings

In November 2022, JAMA Network Open, a medical journal published by the American Medical Association, revealed after a survey of 1,50,000-plus respondents, that more adolescent children in the survey who started with first tobacco product within five minutes of waking when compared to users of cigarettes and other tobacco products, highlighting the strong grip that nicotine addiction holds on the adolescent brain.

The survey also revealed that e-cigarettes are the second biggest inducement after cigarettes designed to affect long-term dependence in the users. The effect of nicotine is amped up by chemical and additional substances in these devices, which is a potent risk factor, especially for users to continue vaping when compared with traditional tobacco consumption and related methods. This can increase the risk of substance misuse, mental health issues, and physical ailments. The passage concludes that these devices are being portrayed as healthy alternatives but the reality is very different, with many children being led down pathways that cause harm. Many believe that vaping only involves harmless water vapour and pleasant flavours. The reality is very different and has led to a lifetime of substance abuse issues.

Question -1) Which of the following most accurately describes the main concern highlighted in the passage about new-age gateway devices like e-cigarettes?

A) These devices have successfully helped people quit smoking but have introduced other health issues.
B) The devices were meant to be a healthier alternative but have led to a new public health crisis, especially among children.
C) They have been effective in reducing adult smoking rates but have had little impact on youth.
D) E-cigarettes and vaping devices are entirely safe but misunderstood by the public.

Question -2) What is the author’s likely attitude towards the marketing practices of new-age gateway device manufacturers?

A) Indifferent
B) Supportive
C) Critical
D) Neutral

Question -3) Which of the following can be inferred about the impact of new-age gateway devices on mental health?

A) They only affect the mental health of adults.
B) Their mental health impact is limited to mild anxiety.
C) They contribute to significant mental health challenges, including depression and suicidal behavior, especially among adolescents.
D) Their impact on mental health is negligible compared to their physical effects.

Question -4) Based on the passage, which of the following reasons is NOT mentioned as a factor leading children to use e-cigarettes and vaping devices?

A) Peer pressure
B) Advertising and appealing flavors
C) The belief that vaping is harmless
D) A desire to improve academic performance

Question -5) Which of the following best describes the term “new-age gateway devices” as used in the passage?

A) Devices that help users gradually quit smoking.
B) Devices that offer a modern, safe alternative to traditional smoking.
C) Devices that inadvertently introduce users, especially children, to nicotine addiction and other harmful substances.
D) Devices that are primarily designed for recreational use by adults.

Question -6) Which of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the argument made in the passage?

A) A new study finds that vaping is entirely harmless and has no addictive potential.
B) Recent regulations have significantly reduced the sale of vaping devices to minors.
C) New research shows that vaping helps more adults quit smoking than previously thought.
D) A report reveals that traditional cigarettes are more harmful than vaping in every aspect.