WOODBURY – Beyond the vibrant hallways of local school communities, a recurring dangerous trend has emerged that captures the curiosity of many teenagers: vaping. What once began as what students perceived as a seemingly harmless alternative has quickly transformed into a widespread deadly and addictive phenomenon.
Modern vaping lures in young teenagers with the promise of social acceptance and the sense of serenity. It’s the ultimate teenage accessory: fashionable, rebellious, and oh so inviting but let’s be real: behind those colorful clouds of vapor lies a dark downfall that is often ignored.
Every time you take a puff the thick vapor surrounds you like a relentless fog, pulling you deeper into its deceptive embrace. As those clouds close in, you find yourself drowning in the haze, which inhales weighing heavier on your lungs and your future.
Photo Credit: Afshin Asif (Unsplash)
Many teens often fail to recognize the effects of immediate vaping- such as coughing, dizziness, and throat irritation- although long term effects won’t manifest until later on it could all be avoided easily.
If students and adults think that vaping is just a harmless phase, think again. It’s an open door for other substances to crash the party.
“It’s disgusting, ” said freshman Molly Dains. “I just hold my breath because second hand smoke is just as bad as smoking it. Every time I walk into a restroom out in public I immediately smell whatever flavor is coming from the stalls. It’s so gross.”
Besides, vaping is not only a gateway drug that causes addiction but it can also be the gateway for serious health conditions such as cancer, lung disease, and could even lead to a heart attack.
So that brings us to the next question: How can what some may refer to as a simple and harmless smoke cause a heart attack?
Well let me answer that for you nicotine is a toxic chemical that you inhale in when you vape that raises your blood pressure and spikes your adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and the likelihood of having a heart attack.
So what is nicotine anyway?
For those that don’t know already, Nicotine is a highly addictive substance that causes you to crave more of the drug.
Thankfully, at Nonnewaug, the resources to help students live healthier lifestyles exist.
“It saddens me to see kids doing this that don’t really know the negative effects it has on them, ” said Paul Laedke, one of NHS’ guidance counselors. “It makes me sad to see kids doing this because it can all get out of hand easily and my mom died of lung cancer and I wouldn’t want that for anyone. Something I do as a school counselor when it comes to nicotine is work with students and get them to realize why they started in the first place and when kids do have the motivation to stop it is easier to help them but when people don’t have that same motivation its harder to work with them after all nicotine vapes can give you a little bit of high feeling in just itself.”
According to the CDC article Protecting Youth From the Harms of Vaping states “Science shows that vapes contain ingredients that are addictive and could harm different parts of your body. Right now, your brain is still developing, which means you can get addicted more easily than an adult could. Most vape products contain nicotine, and using nicotine can change your brain.“
In the grand scheme of things, if you are still convinced that vaping is just a harmless trend, it might be time to take off those rose-colored glasses you have on because in reality it is a one way ticket to a dark destination. So next time you see someone exhaling those thick clouds of smoke, remember that they might just be hiding a storm of trouble waiting to unfold. It’s time to clear the air because let’s be honest no one wants their future to go up in smoke.
This piece is an opinion piece written by NHS freshman Dakota DiBiase ’28.
