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Special Report: 3.6 Million Kids Vape
Vaping has become an epidemic, having increased by over 900% in high school students since 2011. It may cause cancer and damage the nervous system.
By Mia Deckman
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Within recent years, vaping has skyrocketed among adolescents and has reached epidemic proportions, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
E-cigarette use by high school students multiplied by 900 percent from 2011 to 2015, according to theNew York Times.
According to Science News for Students, vaping companies such as Juul target their product towards adolescents by making vapes with desirable flavors like grape, mango and mint. According to a recent article on CNN.com, “...the number of current vapers in middle and high school has jumped by roughly 1.5 million since last year, now totaling 3.6 million kids.”
Vaping under the age of eighteen is illegal in the United States.
Yet, many teens use vaping devices daily when socializing with friends, as a way to look cool, and because many are addicted to the nicotine that can be used in the vaping pens.
CNN stated, “Health experts worry that these products could put kids’ developing brains at risk, get them hooked on nicotine early in life and be a gateway to smoking and other drugs.”
There are various solutions that can be inhaled from vaping pens: flavored vaporizing juices that contain nicotine, flavored vaporizing juices without nicotine, and liquid marijuana.
Vaping and related paraphernalia on Woodlynde’s campus is prohibited regardless of your age.
Mr. Shank,the Dean of Students, warned against vaping, noting how unhealthy it is for teens to participate in. Due to the addictive chemical nicotine in the vapes, students are hooked and feel the need to vape whenever they have the chance, even though doing so on campus has major consequences.
SEVERE REPERCUSSIONS
When Mr. Shank was asked about the severity of punishment for vaping on campus or carrying vaping paraphernalia, he said, “First time offender: suspension and counseling. Second time offender: expulsion.”
Mr. Shank said there were three incidents of students vaping on campus last school year, as well as one incident from this school year. They all were suspended and went to in-school counseling to address their vaping issue.
35% HAVE VAPED
In October the Informer sent out an anonymous survey to students in grades six through twelve. When the survey results came in from 72 students, 35% said they have either tried vaping or vape consistently. 9.7% (seven out of 72) of middle and upper schoolers who responded said they have vaped on school grounds.
“I GOT ADDICTED”
An Upper School student who vapes consistently at school said, “It relieves my stress, but then I got addicted.”
The student, who asked to stay anonymous to protect their identity, said they haven’t gotten caught on campus vaping, but they understand the consequences if they do.
The student also said they know the health risks of vaping. When asked why they vape on Woodlynde’s campus, they said if they haven’t vaped that day, their arms start to shake and they are fidgety.
While there are many teens who vape, there is also a large percentage of students who are against vaping and don't participate in it.
When asked their opinion on vaping, another Upper Schooler said, “I don't vape because I am trying not to kill my lungs.”
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Vaping May Cause Cancer
Teens who vape may suffer major health effects down the line.
Vaping may cause cancer and damage the nervous system, according to Health24.com.
As stated by Science News for Students, vaping can also cause gum disease, bleeding in the throat, destroy tissues, and affect a person's immunity.
In addition, students who vape have more absences from school due to trouble breathing. They also have an increased chance of asthma, according to the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education.
~ By Mia Deckman, Co-Editor-in-Chief
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Woodlynde School is a private, co-ed college prep day school located in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that serves intelligent, talented students with learning differences in grades K - 12. Woodlynde provides a comprehensive, evidence-based Kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school program in a challenging yet nurturing environment for students with average to above average cognitive abilities (IQ) who have language- or math-based learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia), Executive Function Challenges, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), or Auditory Processing Disorder. Even for those students without a diagnosed learning disability (LD), Woodlynde offers expert and caring teachers in small classroom settings that support academic success. Woodlynde School also offers a post-graduate (PG) program in partnership with Rosemont College as well as a regional Summer Camp for students who learn differently.
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