Vaping is becoming more of a common epidemic within teens.
October 12, 2019
A culture that has become more prevalent across the country in teens is the use of vaping. In the past few years, vaping has spread amongst all ages and has become an epidemic.
Antioch Community High School Dean, Grant Murray, explained that the statistics of the number of students vaping at ACHS during the 2019-2020 school year have dropped compared to past years.
This summer renovations were done to the ACHS building: they upgraded the bathrooms and took the doors off of six of them. Students have speculated that the reasons the doors were taken off was to prevent vaping, but Murray explained that the change was the designers plan and had nothing to do with vaping.
“That was the design,” Murray said. “Schools with newer bathrooms are open bathrooms as well. If you go over to Lakes, a newer building, all their bathrooms are open too.”
Teens hear about vaping in school, on television, in ads and from their parents almost everyday, which may lead to their suspicion of what it may feel like. Vaping culture has become a norm in many places. Still there is not much knowledge of the side effects on vaping.
“A lot of people would describe vaping culture as a safe alternative to smoking,” freshman Emma Kolloff said. “[Vaping] has increased so much because commercials are consistently promoting vaping by saying don’t do it, but that makes people want to try it even more, unfortunately.”
New studies are showing that the chemicals in vapes are leading to possible cases of pulmonary disease, with several deaths potentially linked to vaping. FDA released a statement saying to stop vaping and now federal and state officials are investigating the nationwide outbreak, according to Yale Medicine.
At Antioch, teachers are required to go through training on the different types of vapes and their effects on the adolescent body.
“Teachers have had the opportunity to receive professional development which included examples of different types of vapes,” Murray said. “We expect to continue this education.”
There is a divide in the students that vape and those who prefer not to participate. Students may wonder where they can go if they see someone vaping the bathroom at school and who they can talk to.
“I would hope that there are enough bathrooms that students can find a peaceful place to do their business,” Murray said. “With that being said, we have bathrooms in the main office that students can use if they don’t feel comfortable.”
Every year data changes. As vaping culture progresses it reaches a wider range of teens. Vaping has taken on patterns very similar to smoking cigarettes leading to a more common epidemic in teens.
