In high-school bathrooms all over the country there has been a rise in students vaping has dropped significantly over the past year. Schools have been installing high-tech vape/nicotine detectors in bathrooms and locker rooms to prevent students from using e-cigarettes on school grounds.
Nearly 1.63 million or 6% of high school/middle school students reported using e-cigs in 2024, compared with 2.13 million, or 7.7% the previous year according to the 2024 Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey. Even though the vaping rates in teens have gone down, it is still a huge issue in society.
Vaping is most common in young adults ages 18 to 24, in 2022-2023 49% of people 18-24 years of age have used e-cigs at least once in their lives and 21% were current users. Men are more likely to vape than women because smoking in general is seen as gross while controlled alcohol is seen as fun. Adults who recently quit smoking cigarettes are also more likely to start vaping because of the tobacco they both hold, with a better smell/taste, and easier to access.
Vaping, especially with teens, can lead to things like cancer, diseases, and possible death. The article “Vaping By The Numbers” by KFF Health News states, “As of Sept. 12, federal health officials were investigating at least 380 possible cases of the mysterious pulmonary illness across 36 states, including six cases that resulted in death. California has reported 70 cases of lung illness since late June in patients with a history of vaping; one of those patients, in Los Angeles County, has died”. This quote shows the real risks of vaping especially excessively and at younger ages. There are so many risks towards vaping, and death is not really considered often. It’s not very popular but with excessive vaping it would not be a shock.
At school, vaping comes with a lot of consequences like disrupting learning time and potential legal consequences, even if you’re just holding it. Furthermore, the use of vaping can be a doorway into other drugs/substances that can be even more harmful to youth. Overall, vaping comes with all different types of health, addiction, and social risks.
