With older friends and online resources, students have easier access to vaping devices
December 29, 2017
One time may be all it takes to start a lifelong addiction. It might happen when one is hanging out with friends and they are asked to just try it, ‘just once.’ Or after someone else sees the videos that are scattered all over social media and wants to be just like them. It could be during a stressful week at school when someone is looking for a way to self-medicate. Regardless, vaping has become mainstream. According to Science News for Students 2.39 million teens have reported vaping in 2015 compared to just the 1.37 million high school kids who smoked cigarettes in the same year.
“We have had issues with students vaping in the bathroom,” Assistant Principal Laura Lemke said. “We are now constantly having to search people for them. I think that it has to do with the popularization of the product; you see videos online of people doing tricks and some think ‘I want to do that too.’ The issue with vaping has become mainstream and that may be a big reason why students are doing it.”
It’s like a domino effect in the sense that when one person does it another person follows suit.
— Laura Lemke
Another new study links the likelihood that a teen will vape with e-cigarette advertising.
“The study showed that tweens and teens who reported having seen ads for e-cigarettes were more likely to have tried vaping,” reported Science News For Kids. “The link was strongest for those who saw those ads online or in local stores. High school students who saw ads in these places were almost twice as likely to vape as those who saw no e-cigarette ads. Middle school kids who saw ads in these places were more than twice as likely to vape.”
Students now are vaping on school grounds and according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “More than two million middle and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes in 2016.” This school year alone Fenton High school has confiscated significant number of e-cigarettes and vapes.
“Students vape for multiple reasons,” Lemke said. “Some do it at school for the adrenaline rush; the fact that they can get in trouble can be a thrill for them. It’s like a domino effect in the sense that when one person does it another person follows suit. Another reason that students might vape is the self-medication aspect. With the Nicotine in vape, it can give them a high that could potentially relieve stress.”
Some students may want to break away from their stereotype of “perfect student.” Vaping can give these people an adrenaline rush or simply make them feel different because they’re breaking the rules for once in their lives.
“I think that people do it to feel something,” an anonymous student said. “They do it so that they can feel that little nicotine buzz and just get away for a little bit. Sometimes it’s just a way to get away from real life; it’s a way to do something wrong for once. The rebel in me just really enjoys it. Someone was talking to my mom about how much of a standout student and good person I was and it hit me that I have never done anything rebellious at all. So when my friends were doing it, I asked to try it. It just gives a nice adrenaline rush. I don’t really even like the nicotine; it just feels nice to break away from my stereotype.”
It is not difficult for teens under 18 to obtain the products; they get it from a friend who over 18 or they obtain it online illegally. According to Science News for Students, “Researchers watched every step as kids shopped. The students used their own names, addresses and debit cards (not their parents’ cards). Each teen attempted to buy a fruit-flavored e-liquid in a small container. When the companies asked how old a buyer was, each teen gave a false birth date that made them at least 21 years old.”
