Just like other trends that follow us around, smoking and vaping keep getting more and more popular among people. However, out of all the people and age groups that vaping and smoking are affecting, adolescents and high schoolers are the ones to worry about most.
The rise in normalizing actions that have to do with smoking anything containing nicotine in society. But more importantly schools are a major problem.
Health teacher, Dan Wheeler, shares his feelings on the the rise of nicotine in schools.
“Human beings are prone to rebellious nature,” Wheeler said.
Not only is this true, but peer pressure is another big factor. Approximately 60% of kids (under 18) that vape started using e-cigarettes because they were hanging around friends and family that do the same. Along with peer pressure and rebellious nature calling our names, there are so many other factors that keep kids vaping including the addictive chemicals in these devices.
We all know that inhaling anything with nicotine is bad for our lungs. It can cause lung disease, popcorn lung, breathing problems, and so many other things that will harm our one and only body. So why do people do it? The answer is simple. Nicotine.
Nicotine is up there with heroin and cocaine when comparing addictiveness, however, in adolescents it gets a lot worse. Our brains are still developing until our mid to late 20’s and until then, we want to do anything to protect it and keep ourselves healthy, however, nicotine can cause our cognitive functions to decline and make us more likely to experience strokes and put us at risk for early dementia.
Another toxic chemical that is linked to more than one type of serious lung disease, that isn’t nicotine, is diacetyl. Diacetyl is mostly found in vapes. It’s one of the only things besides nicotine and peer pressure that keeps adolescents vaping.
Kaicy Clark, who is a former smoker who transitioned to e-cigarettes, also known as vapes, shares her perspective.
“Well, you don’t want what you’re smoking to smell or taste bad,” Clark said . “You want to taste something better and not smell like smoke.”
Diacetyl is the exact reason people can do that. Diacetyl causes the smell and the flavor of e-cigarettes. This is one of the reasons why teenagers especially think it isn’t as bad as smoking marijuana, cigars, or just regular old cigarettes. Something that smells and tastes so good can’t be that bad. Right?
That isn’t the case though. E-cigarettes, cigarettes, cigars, and anything else that includes tobacco are recipes for disaster when it comes to keeping yourself healthy.
