Vaping in High School, by Vivan Brahmbhatt

 Vaping in High School

                                                                   by Vivan Brahmbhatt

Vaping is the act of inhalation and exhalation of aerosol produced by electronic cigarettes. It has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity among students from 2010 to the present day. This exponential growth is a giant concern, especially because of the use of vapes within school premises, posing a concern for  health and academic performance. This essay will explain these effects to raise awareness and to take action to better the lives of students. 

Vaping has many health concerns. According to the Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey 2.13 million or 7.7% of all highschool students just in the United States Vape. 2.13 million is no small number, all these students could be experiencing or will be experiencing detrimental health concerns. The harmful chemicals could cause health risks that are irreversible, vapes produce chemicals like “acetaldehyde, acrolein, and formaldehyde. These aldehydes can cause lung disease, as well as cardiovascular (heart) disease” (American Lung Diseases). This explains that the chemicals present in e-cigarette aerosols, have the potential to induce both lung disease and cardiovascular conditions and these conditions are not a joke, students might not be effected after using the vape once or twice but repeated use could cause death or their life span to be shortened exponentially due to these serious diseases.

In addition, vaping can also affect students' academic performance. A lot of the time it's hard for students to stop using a vape because of the nicotine found in them. They are also very easy to get, fairly cheap for a high schooler, and last a pretty long time. Unfortunately students get addicted and that affects them in school, a study in 2021 found, “students who began to use e-cigarettes missed assignments, skipped classes, and reported lower GPAs than those who didn’t use tobacco products” (McMahon). This demonstrates another overall negative effect of vaping, parents are expecting their kids to get good grades and if the student has fulfilled that their whole school life and now is declining could raise major suspicion in the family and could cause more problems.

In conclusion, vaping can cause problems with education and overall health. The amount of students vaping is very concerning and should be addressed. Addressing this issue should be a priority for the education system to better the future of these students.

Bibliography: 

• American Lung Association. “Health Risks of E-Cigarettes and Vaping | American Lung Association.” Www.lung.org, American Lung Association, 31 May 2023, www.lung.org/quit-smoking/e-cigarettes-vaping/impact-of-e-cigarettes-on-lung.

• McMahon, Patrick . “How Vaping in School Affects Teachers and the Classroom.” Www.verkada.com, 1 Nov. 2022, www.verkada.com/blog/vaping-school-affects-teachers-classroom.