Vaping has become popular among teens and adults as an alternative to smoking.  For students at Santaluces, a 10-minute walk to a local vape shop or a simple transaction among peers is all what it takes to get a hold of a “vape”. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), E-cigarettes are sometimes called “e-cigs,” “vapes,” “e-hookahs,” and “vape pens”. E-cigarettes come in many forms like a cigarette, a flash drive or an everyday item.  

1 in 5 U.S. high school students vape. This could mean that about 471 of 2,357, of the whole student body, is using vaping products. 

In a recent report from the CDC, the number of deaths related to vaping is on the rise. Nine vape-related deaths from six states have been reported. Most patients of the vaping lung disease are exposed to THC and nicotine. THC and nicotine are chemicals reported to be in e-cigarettes.

“I don’t care if people are dying. I’m still going to do it.” a junior says.

Last Friday, the CDC issued a warning among teens and adults to stop buying fake, street cannabis products, as well as to stop modifying the products into unusual vape substances. 

A senior says about vaping, “I wasn’t in a good time in my life and it honestly made me feel better. I had friends who did the same and gave me some. I bought it on my own as well.”

The act of exhaling “clouds” and inhaling chemicals is an ongoing trend among our generation. However, it has turned into something bigger. With the thousands of other teenagers and adults falling sick from the vaping device, it has the potential to become the nation’s next epidemic.