By: Chris Lopez
The amount of high school students who vape is slowly growing; the CDC has found that an estimated 27% of students have vaped.
A survey out of 30 people has found that an estimated 1 out of 6 students at Yerba Buena High School used either cartridge containing THC and/or e-cigarettes.
Most students who vape have admitted to knowing about the health issues that may arise from vaping, but have shown little to no concern for it. Most students when asked, “Why do you continue with these habits?” simply responded, “I don’t care.”
Students seem to ignore the rise in a mysterious illness among teens who vape. One student in particular, when asked if the possibility of becoming sick worries them, stated that their health being impacted has crossed their mind, but they stop vaping as soon as the thought becomes too much, only to continue later on.
Another student stated that they only vape quality cartridges, yet when acquired illegally, it becomes difficult for students to identify a “real” cartridge.
Students have expressed how easily one can get a THC cartridge, most students have made it clear that getting a cartridge can take up to a few minutes to an hour, while a small percentage of teens who vape saying that it takes up to a day.
Mr. Vasquez (staff member) has also expressed how easily students can get a vape pen: “The fact that it’s marketed to teens and how it’s marked as a healthy alternative as opposed to smoking” contributes to the vaping epidemic.
Yet vaping has become a bit more out of hand with students now being able to buy THC products in bulk for a cheaper price as opposed to buying the same amount of cartridges one by one.
While it looks like students who vape seemingly have an endless supply of vape products, staff members like Mr. Vasquez have stated rarely ever catching students vaping, with the few who have been caught being made up of primarily Freshmen and Sophomores.
Vasquez said, “Honestly... two or three times a month,'' when asked about how often he catches students vaping in school.
But when asking students about their vaping habits, around half of the students who vape have stated that they’re vaping on a daily basis, some have talked about finishing cartridges within a few days.
And many of those students have mentioned vaping in school. Around more than half of all the students who were surveyed have mostly vaped in the bathrooms at YB.
After the survey, it’s become more clear that the ratio between people who use THC products and people who use e-cigarettes is very diverse, a little more than half of the people who took the survey and have stated primarily using THC products.
And most students have admitted to using both THC cartridges and e-cigarettes in school and more specifically in the bathrooms, but at the same time a substantial amount of students have stated using vaping products in other areas like the coyote creek nearby YB, and more secluded areas inside of YB, and a small number of students vape at home.
Preventing the vaping epidemic from going any further is going to be difficult, the FDA has notified the public that FDA approved methods to quit vaping may be required.
But different methods to prevent vaping at a local level can be just as effective.
The role staff members play is an important one, Mr. Vasquez said, “Staff can incorporate lessons into their units… to educate about the causes and effects of vaping. Teachers can also reach out to counselors to support students.”
Mr. Vasquez has also talked about the important role parents play, in order to prevent vaping, and the possibility of becoming sick, “Having open discussions about substances and how they affect your health is important,” Mr. Vasquez stated.
Vaping isn’t a healthy habit, there have been at least 33 deaths since the recent outbreak of a mysterious illness, and the FDA has reported around 1,479 cases of people having been hospitalized.
Vaping can cause an underdeveloped brain to grow slowly and can affect memory, concentration, learning self-control, attention, and mood.
YB students aren’t excluded when it comes to being hospitalized, but if we wish to move past this epidemic, we must realize that in order to convince teens to stop vaping, before anything we need to make teens care first.
The amount of high school students who vape is slowly growing; the CDC has found that an estimated 27% of students have vaped.
A survey out of 30 people has found that an estimated 1 out of 6 students at Yerba Buena High School used either cartridge containing THC and/or e-cigarettes.
Most students who vape have admitted to knowing about the health issues that may arise from vaping, but have shown little to no concern for it. Most students when asked, “Why do you continue with these habits?” simply responded, “I don’t care.”
Students seem to ignore the rise in a mysterious illness among teens who vape. One student in particular, when asked if the possibility of becoming sick worries them, stated that their health being impacted has crossed their mind, but they stop vaping as soon as the thought becomes too much, only to continue later on.
Another student stated that they only vape quality cartridges, yet when acquired illegally, it becomes difficult for students to identify a “real” cartridge.
Students have expressed how easily one can get a THC cartridge, most students have made it clear that getting a cartridge can take up to a few minutes to an hour, while a small percentage of teens who vape saying that it takes up to a day.
Mr. Vasquez (staff member) has also expressed how easily students can get a vape pen: “The fact that it’s marketed to teens and how it’s marked as a healthy alternative as opposed to smoking” contributes to the vaping epidemic.
Yet vaping has become a bit more out of hand with students now being able to buy THC products in bulk for a cheaper price as opposed to buying the same amount of cartridges one by one.
While it looks like students who vape seemingly have an endless supply of vape products, staff members like Mr. Vasquez have stated rarely ever catching students vaping, with the few who have been caught being made up of primarily Freshmen and Sophomores.
Vasquez said, “Honestly... two or three times a month,'' when asked about how often he catches students vaping in school.
But when asking students about their vaping habits, around half of the students who vape have stated that they’re vaping on a daily basis, some have talked about finishing cartridges within a few days.
And many of those students have mentioned vaping in school. Around more than half of all the students who were surveyed have mostly vaped in the bathrooms at YB.
After the survey, it’s become more clear that the ratio between people who use THC products and people who use e-cigarettes is very diverse, a little more than half of the people who took the survey and have stated primarily using THC products.
And most students have admitted to using both THC cartridges and e-cigarettes in school and more specifically in the bathrooms, but at the same time a substantial amount of students have stated using vaping products in other areas like the coyote creek nearby YB, and more secluded areas inside of YB, and a small number of students vape at home.
Preventing the vaping epidemic from going any further is going to be difficult, the FDA has notified the public that FDA approved methods to quit vaping may be required.
But different methods to prevent vaping at a local level can be just as effective.
The role staff members play is an important one, Mr. Vasquez said, “Staff can incorporate lessons into their units… to educate about the causes and effects of vaping. Teachers can also reach out to counselors to support students.”
Mr. Vasquez has also talked about the important role parents play, in order to prevent vaping, and the possibility of becoming sick, “Having open discussions about substances and how they affect your health is important,” Mr. Vasquez stated.
Vaping isn’t a healthy habit, there have been at least 33 deaths since the recent outbreak of a mysterious illness, and the FDA has reported around 1,479 cases of people having been hospitalized.
Vaping can cause an underdeveloped brain to grow slowly and can affect memory, concentration, learning self-control, attention, and mood.
YB students aren’t excluded when it comes to being hospitalized, but if we wish to move past this epidemic, we must realize that in order to convince teens to stop vaping, before anything we need to make teens care first.