Clouding the Issue: Vaping in Schools

Clouding+the+Issue%3A+Vaping+in+Schools

David, Tyler

Vaping is a controversial topic, mainly due to the fact that there is lots of confusion with the medical aspects involved with vaping. Some believe that vaping has minuscule health risks and can prove beneficial with smokers trying to quit while others believe vaping is extremely unhealthy and shouldn’t be done by anyone. Currently it has gained major popularity, especially among teens which has caused problems among schools. Let’s start with what is vaping. Vaping is when you inhale and exhale the vapor produced by an electronic cigarette or similar device. They are either filled with juice pods which can contain nicotine or even cartridges of marijuana oil. This is where the confusion lies in whether it’s “ok”. In schools, students are not allowed to vape strictly due to the fact that it is a huge distraction and school authorities do not feel the need to take a risk on something that could possibly be very unhealthy.

To get a clear idea of schools views on vaping, we met with assistant principal, Mr. Carovillano. He explained a lot of reasons why vaping is not allowed in school. First off, it is “considered a smoke product.” and  “they can’t differ between a vape with nicotine and a vape without nicotine.” Also there are many harmful products in the vape. The first student we interviewed compared vape to poison.

People who claim that vaping has many health concerns claim that it can raise your blood pressure, increases your chances of blood clots, strokes and heart attacks. Furthermore, they believe it has a harmful affect on your lungs which leads to a harder time breathing when doing vigorous activities.

Individuals who are considered ¨pro vape¨ claim that vaping is even beneficial in some cases. Some believe smokers can benefit from this device because they can use it to get off of smoking. They can slowly use less and less nicotine which will cause less of a shock from getting off of nicotine. As a result it will help the smokers get off of cigarettes if used appropriately.

Individuals who vape and who don’t both agree on one thing, it’s not particularly healthy. So why do people vape if they know the consequences? The second student interviewed claimed that vaping helped to “relieve myself off all the stress of the day, to kick back with a bunch of friends and vape.” Also they said that they usually do “either 10-15 minutes of vaping per day.” Some people do every other day but most do it everyday. As a result, individuals start to do it more often. “It’s more of a time filler than anything” said the second student.

When asked about the issue of vaping in schools, Mr C. said “Schools around the area are cracking down on vaping in schools. Fortunately for our school, we have an extremely low vaping rate.” However this is only in the beginning of the year and anything could happen.