Sugar Land teen helps to ban vaping in the city

A 17-year-old from Sugar Land has had enough.

In the wake of all the vaping concerns, one teen has changed the city’s smoking ordinance to include a ban on vaping.

“It was definitely an amazing feeling just working with city councilman and the mayor of Sugar Land for months to get that piece of legislation. It was an arduous process, but when it was passed, it was an amazing feeling. Especially considering the fact that I could potentially be helping so many future lives, especially those of students," says Mehul Mittal a student at Dulles High School.

He also says the hard work was worth it. The use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices is now banned in the city of Sugar Land. They are enforcing this new law the same as they would regular cigarettes, and anyone found violating the ordinance would be subject to a fine of up to $500.  

The goal is, of course, to reduce the amount of teenagers who are trying to jump on to this dangerous trend. Mehul tells us what inspired him to get involved.

“Teens don’t know the consequences of addiction, and with vaping becoming more and more common as a gateway drug for harder drugs, it just became something that I was passionate for advocating for," he said.

Mehul says that he is also passionate about raising awareness against substance abuse, due to the experiences he has had with his own family.