The once ironic saying “Do you even vape bro?” has become a common question to ask between teens. Whether it be hitting a vape pen, Juul, or Suorin, blowing fat clouds has become a norm around the school.
When The Pirates’ Hook interviewed students about vaping for a news story (page 3), students had a lot to say. Sources said that, in the moments of vaping, it feels euphoric. It’s almost as if the vape clouds fog your mind of negative thoughts. It’s a temporary fix for the stress that teens endure on a day-to-day basis. The feeling of being buzzed is almost like feeling high. For those who don’t understand the feeling, it’s a rush of sudden adrenaline and your joyful thoughts are amplified. Though people partake in the activity of vaping, it doesn’t mean its effects last.
Vaping among underaged teens has become a serious problem; according to the BBC the amount of teen vapers has doubled within the past year. Vaping at an early age gets teens addicted to nicotine, and the addiction characteristic can carry over into other substances.
Blowing clouds and doing vape tricks is impressive and all, but constantly performing these actions can have negative consequences. For a while, people become reliant on vaping to get them through the day, and when an individual admits to themselves that they have a problem, withdrawals begin.
Parents aren’t aware of the dangers that come out of vaping. It’s easy for students to conceal their devices because of how small they are. One juul pod contains the same amount of nicotine as one pack of cigarettes and teens themselves aren’t aware of that.
Perhaps most importantly, adults don’t know what vaping is, not to mention how to deal with it. Riverside can begin educating the students about the harmful consequences that can happen when the addiction starts. When people are face to face with the consequences of their actions, they’re more likely to correct them.
Teens can get sucked into the world of the Vape Nation, but if not handled correctly it can cause addiction problems. It’s best that the flavored pod ban is place because it cuts down on the the amount of teen vapers. Unfortunately, it’s hard to say that the amount of teen vapers will decrease because once addicted, it’s hard to escape it.
thepirateshook.com 