While in high school, people are much more susceptible to peer pressure. This is partly because of the natural human desire to fit in with the immediate environment, and because the prefrontal cortex (the decision-making part of the brain) isn’t fully developed yet. This vulnerability to fall to peer pressure can lead to a lot of harmful things, including vaping and smoking marijuana.
In the past decade, there has been a rise in the number of adolescents who use e-cigarettes or “vapes.” Vapes were introduced to the U.S in 2007 and were created as a way to quit smoking cigarettes; however, they more often than not contain more nicotine than a cigarette. Most Geek Bars and JUULs contain at least 5% nicotine, or 59g/ml. This amount of nicotine is the equivalent of smoking about 20 cigarettes, which most people would never do in one sitting, but will sit there and vape because it tastes good.
Another big factor in smoking for adolescents is flavor. Vapes come in a variety of flavors and generally tend to taste better than cigarettes, which makes them more appealing to teenagers. Some of these flavors can range from fruity, like strawberry or mango, to completely weird flavors like Stardust. This can cause teens to be more drawn to vaping because of the fact it tastes and smells good.
Vaping in teens can lead to a whole world of health problems. Everyone is generally aware that it can cause lung cancer and popcorn lung, and everyone thinks, “That could never be me, the chances are so slim.” This is untrue, as the majority of people and teens who vape regularly end up with some kind of lung disease, like popcorn lung, pneumonia, lung cancer, and it one of the factors that can make it lethal if one contracts COVID-19. It also impacts the development of the brain negatively. It can cause things like hyperactivity and compulsive behavior changes, as well as brain fog.
One of the main factors with vaping is personality changes. A lot of teenagers end up becoming so addicted that they are willing to do anything and everything just to get their hands on nicotine. There is a term for these people, and it’s called “fiends.” This term is also used for people who are overly addicted to other substances like crack cocaine or heroin. It doesn’t help that teens who vape are more likely to try drugs in the future.
When discussing vaping, it is important to include the rise of marijuana smokers among adolescents as well. Marijuana can be just as harmful, if not more harmful, than nicotine. A lot of teens use the argument that ‘it’s used in medicinal practices, so it can’t be that bad.’ While that is true, one could make the same argument for Adderall or any other prescription drug. Just because it’s used as medicine doesn’t mean it can’t be harmful if taken when not needed.
Marijuana has similar negative health effects on the body as nicotine, with the added inclusion of stunting brain growth and brain deformities. It can also come in a cartridge like a vape does, but it is very easy to distinguish between the two. Usually, marijuana has a glass or plastic see-through area where the substance is visible, while vapes tend to be opaque plastic shells.
It’s safe to say that vaping and marijuana can cause severe health risks for teenagers, with some teens experiencing extreme reactions to them. There are many resources and ways to help quit vaping, which include: nicotine gum, essential oil diffusers, and quitting “cold turkey.” Nicotine is one of the hardest things to quit, so stay away from it before there are problems no one wants.
