FEATURE
RISE OF THE
ACADEMIC
E-CIG ESSAY
A LOOK AT THE VAPING INDUSTRY’S
NEW SCHOLARSHIPS
BY LEO FORFAR
American college and university students are being offered scholarships of up to $5,000
to write essays about vaping as a safer alternative to smoking.
More and more e-cigarette companies are offering the scholarships via essay contests to
students throughout the US. They have already been listed on several university funding
pages including those of the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard and the University of California
at Berkeley.
The schemes offer incentives of between $250 and $5,000 for thought-provoking essays
from vapers about relevant issues which define this burgeoning industry.
Subjects can range from the personal and introspective – examining the writer’s journey
from smoking into vaping – to wider examinations of public health, societal habits and addictions.
Companies including DaVinci Vaporizer, Slick Vapes, VapeCraft Inc and SmokeTastic have
all gone down this route.
SmokeTastic’s ST Scholarship Programme asks for 500 to 1,500 words and offers the
winner a $1,000 award towards equipment, education fees, books and general living costs.
The programme requires hopefuls to “share [their] ideas and vision for a smoke-free world,”
listing suggestions such as:
Why do people still choose to smoke in society? Is vaping a new problem with younger
smokers and potentially introducing them to smoking? Would a smoke-free world really
improve society? What message do you have for current smokers thinking about vaping?
Is vaping addiction a real concern?
VapeCraft Inc. provide two scholarships per year, offering $4,000 under its “Supporting a
Tobacco Free Tomorrow” programme.
The company explains about the programme online, saying: “While we do deal in nicotine
products and sell vape juice, vape mods and DIY supplies, our chief goal here is to invest in
your collegiate aspirations and help you tackle the financial burden of a higher education.”
One of the most talked about scholarships in recent weeks has come from Robert Pagano
of review site VaporVanity. This scholarship, which pays up to $1,500 to students, covers
smoking and vaping-related issues and asks:
Why do you see tobacco use as a problem for individuals and society at large?
What is the best way for society to overcome the issue of tobacco use?
What is your vision for what a tobacco-free world would look like in the future? What would
the benefits be to society? What message do you have for current tobacco users?
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