In health class, students are taught the physical and mental harms of vaping. But why are people still vaping? “Peer pressure, or they think it is a ‘safer’ method of smoking,” says health teacher Mrs. Jacquelyn Williams. However, vapes have been found to be just as addictive and harmful as traditional cigarettes.  

     There are many studies that show vaping has a major impact on physical health that can lead to long-term effects. “Vaping links to chronic lung disease and asthma,” wrote Johns Hopkins Medicine. There are also still many unknown facts about vaping because it is fairly new. “There has been an outbreak of lung injuries and deaths associated with vaping,” reported  Johns Hopkins Medicine. 

     Vaping has become more popular, which means more people are suffering from the effects of it. “2.55 million U.S. middle and high school students reported current e-cigarette use in 2022,” said U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Vaping can also open resources and appeal to different kinds of drugs. “Vaping can be considered a gateway drug,” adds Williams. 

     Along with negative physical health effects, there are also many mental health effects that lead to anxiety, stress, and depression. “Nicotine increases sensitivity to stress and alters the coping mechanism in the brain,” writes Baylor College of Medicine. Stress makes it hard to balance things in life so that could lead to struggle with school and extracurricular activities. “Dependence on nicotine has been associated with mood disorders, anxiety, suicidality, and depression,” said Baylor College of Medicine. 

   “Vapers were more likely to report anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts,” wrote The American Heart Association. Anxiety and depression can affect many aspects of your life including school, sports, and everyday activities.  “Anxiety and depression symptoms may leave children at risk for lower academic scores,” states The National Institute of Health. So this shows that vapers are more likely to struggle in school due to vaping causing anxiety and depression. Before students get into vaping they should think about the negative effects on their mental and physical health and think about how they want to live their life.