By Anna Bella D’Amico and Ethan Kahwaty
Walk past the bathrooms at East, and you’ll find yourself facing a waft of a sweet fragrant smoke drift out of the stalls with two pairs of feet under the handicap door as an obnoxious set of giggles erupt from students engaged in vaping. This is an occurrence that the East Student Body knows all too well.
President Trump declared a national state of emergency on substance abuse in particular opioids. However one might find it hard to believe that it is an issue right here in our community. We have a growing increase in opioid overdoses in Western New York, however, the crisis didn’t start with opioids it began with gateway drugs. For a long time the most common gateway drug was marijuana, however, researchers are finding that people aren’t starting with marijuana, they are beginning with vape pens. Something that seems relatively harmless but it gives them access to much harder drugs and therefore, more often than not can develop into a full-blown addiction.
This issue while it seems relatively far away is blossoming right here at East, students are using vape pens and e-cigs as the drug of choice because they are easy to conceal.
Vape pens and e-cigs are electronic devices in which the user can place a cartridge called E- liquid, of which the vapor is made from, heat it up and then smoke it like a regular cigarette. Most of these liquids come with a very pleasant scent, and the vape pens themselves look like nothing more than a regular pen, making it very concealable to the average person.
These vape pens/e-cigs have only been around since 2007, therefore there hasn’t been much research on the long-term effects. However, the research that has been done shown some negative effects such as bacteria build up in the lungs due to the water vapor. Some metals that aren’t found in regular cigarettes such as cadmium, nickel, and lead in trace amounts but over time those amounts build up and can lead to big issues like cancer. Health teacher Mr. Townsend said, “Cadmium which is often found in many foods, is FDA approved to be consumed and will not affect the digestive system but can be particularly dangerous because is a carcinogenic, cancer giving, is inhaled into the respiratory system.” Also, the effects of second-hand smoke haven’t yet been determined, so just being around somebody who uses these products could be dangerous even if you don’t personally use them.
The electronic aspect of these can also be dangerous if they get overheated. Some can explode or battery liquid can leak into the E-liquid which can be potentially dangerous. There are too many variables to account for to determine if these products are safe for minors.
The long-term use of these products can also lead to a drug addiction. According to Mr. Townsend, “There is not just nicotine in the pens but these herbal concoctions that can mimic a lot of the harder drugs and some contain up to 80-90% of THC, which is in marijuana.” More and more evidence is linking opioid overdoses to users starting with marijuana and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “animal research suggests that early exposure to marijuana makes opioid drugs (like Vicodin® or heroin) more pleasurable.” There is a natural progression of addiction and it is categorized through There is a natural progression of addiction and it is categorized through 5 stages, the fifth one being full drug dependency, and the first being experimentation, however you can’t become dependent on a drug that you never experimented with in the first place.
E-cigarettes and vape pens are illegal anywhere that smoking is prohibited and that includes schools and school-sponsored events like dances and field trips, however, that doesn’t stop a large part of the East population from using these products.
Teachers like Ms. Kantz are concerned because it “leads to students skipping class, coming to class late, and leaving class in the middle to ‘go to the bathroom’ therefore missing instructional time and therefore they don’t understand the material, and then if they get caught, they get suspended and it leads to more material missed.” This trend affects “all social and grade levels,” said Mr. DePlato meaning that nobody is immune to this epidemic.
Students are also feeling the effects of this plague. Many students are against the use of vape pens and e-cigs because it disturbs the classroom and with its distracting smells is an ever-present topic of conversation. Morgan F, (grade 10) said, “Have you smelled the bathrooms?” A junior male, who wishes to remain anonymous, recounted that “too many kids are getting caught.” Our peers are noticing the uptick in these products and most are irritated and upset that they are watching their peers use them but also get away with it.
Our administration is also following the drug trends as well as the hold that these trends have on the student body, and the subculture that it has created.
The Code of Conduct clearly states, “The following behaviors will not be tolerated on school district property or at school-sponsored events: Alcohol/other drugs – consuming, sharing, transmitting, selling, buying (including “intent” to purchase), possession and/or being under the influence of alcohol, tobacco (to include e-cigarettes & e-juice) or nicotine products…– possession of paraphernalia for consuming (use) of alcohol, tobacco, and other substances (including vapor cigarettes and associated liquid substances; as well as cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones), … on school property or at school-sponsored events.”
Mr. Gray also laid out the strict set of consequences for perpetrators: first offense= In school suspension (ISS), second offense= In school suspension (ISS) for a longer time, and third offense= escalation of these punishments.
He said, “I’d hate to see a bright and promising student body hurt themselves using an unregulated and un-researched product.”
When vape pens first came out in 2007, their original marketing scheme was a safer and healthier alternative to regular cigarettes because they don’t have the toxic chemicals being burned much like a regular cigarette does. However, they don’t provide any health benefits. They are only the lesser of two evils in terms of vaping or smoking. Also, because they have been linked as a gateway drug to marijuana and therefore harder drugs, many have argued that they are worse than regular cigarettes. It also is dependent on what type of liquids are being used in the vape pens. They can have nicotine or marijuana which can lead to developing an addiction to those substances. The only arguments for the benefits of e-cigarettes can be seen in a recovering smoker however for the teenager that is dabbling in vaping it can cause hurt more than it can help.
With this vaping epidemic that is sweeping our community, we must figure out a way to control and eventually end this plague. In the 1980s when regular cigarettes were popular the way they gained popularity was the sentiment that if you smoked you were cool, and the same concept applies to the e-cigarette fad. The only way to combat this issue is through education and reduce the “cool factor.” Our generation was brought up in a time where scientists had figured out the long-term effects of regular smoking and turned regular smoking into something that was dirty and gross and as a result, our generation has the lowest number of regular smokers in history, as of June 2017 on 13% of 18-24- year-olds smoke. Some believe we have to apply the same idea to vaping—to educate our students, parents/teachers, and community leaders on the effects of vaping and then use it to end the hold that it has on our generation.
More people are starting to crack down on this epidemic through the use of education, they are teaching our parents, teachers, coaches and community leaders how to spot the signs of vaping and what the potential consequences are. They are targeting all grade levels and social groups.
“Through wellness, health class, and other groups, we can educate students and parents.” Mr. Townsend said
If you see or know anybody using these products remind them that they are disrupting the learning environment and that you personally wouldn’t want to be around someone who uses these products because of the unknown risks of second-hand smoke as well disciplinary action that could be taken against you.
As Mr. Gray said, “I know there is a tendency to see yourself as invincible.” There is truth to his statement because teenagers often don’t think about the long term effects of their actions and what consequences it might hold. It is time that the teenagers of our generation start thinking about what they are doing and how it might shape their future.
