Unfortunately, vaping has become a trend of our adolescent generation, and recently high schools and middle schools all around the nation have begun to seriously crack down on the illegal activity of underage use of nicotine on school grounds. Teachers and administration have not only begun to enforce the disciplinary actions that will be taken for using nicotine on campus, but also have started to lecture students on the negative health effects of inhaling nicotine and the unknown chemicals that are used in vapes. The most popular vape among the adolescent generation at the moment is the “juul” and teachers have created creative slogans to discourage the use of them such as “it is not cuul to juul in schuul”. The effectiveness of these discouraging slogans are not yet known, since students have become increasingly secretive about their vaping habits.
CCSD has recently become increasingly concerned with the vaping issue. With over 69% of AMHS seniors being able to identify  a juul and nearly 42.0% admitting to trying it, it’s no secret that Magnet is plagued with an underground vaping epidemic, and administration has made it clear that any vaper caught will be punished to the full extent of school board code. If found vaping, students could face suspension, marks on their permanent record, and the disappointment and shame of the entire school district.
One of the major factors that is allowing this epidemic to spread so quickly is the common threat of peer pressure. Students may begin vaping to “fit in” and because giving into peer pressure has resulted in nicotine addiction. In order to prevent nicotine addiction, we must say no to vaping, and here are some tips to help you do so:

How to say no to vaping:
If a vaper approaches you, whether it’s on school grounds or not, and attempts to peer pressure you into vaping, here are the steps you can take to avoid the situation:
Use your words. Refuse the vape by using one of the following suggested phrases:
“No thanks, I’m a good person.”
“My dad told me better. No way”
“Uhhhh….no thanks, loser!”
“Get away from me, nicotine addict!”
“Absolutely not. I love myself.”
“I don’t think so, I’m nice.”
“What do I look like? A failure?”
If the vaper still doesn’t get the hint from one of the suggested phrases above, please move on to step 2.
2. Pretend they are not there, and don’t look at them or respond to them. Ignore their existence.

How to spot a vaper:
Vapers are usually spotted in dark clothing, hoods on, and usually alone. They may seem spacey or loopy if you talk to them, because they may be experiencing a buzz.

What is a “Juul”?
A juul is a nicotine vaporizer disguised as a flash-drive and has become increasingly prevalent in high schools across our nation. Teens favor the juul vaporizer because it is easily concealable and can be passed off as a “portable wifi stick” or “external hard drive”.
The juul was originally designed to help wean cigarette users off of smoking and presented itself as a safer alternative with no tar or chemicals. This fact aside, more and more teens are getting “nicced out” due to the high 5% nicotine content of pods and easy access, raising the question: Maybe juuls are the gateway to nicotine addiction for people just trying to fit in with their peers?
Juuling, although incredibly safer that cigarettes, is not without risk though. Despite the lack of harmful carcinogens, the nicotine content of the juul could lead to early heart problems. I spoke with AMHS teacher Jason Stackhouse who commented on the absence of FDA approval for the Juul Pods: “do people not understand that the FDA hasn’t approved these things?”

And as a final word of caution to any vaping or prospectively vaping students, Assistant Principal Ms. Pinckney shared a poem on the subject of vaping:

Volatile

Addictive

Punishable

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