You’re not cooler than people who smoke cigarettes just because you are able to hide your addiction in the inside of your jacket sleeve. When you turn to take a hit while walking between classes, we see you. When you place the Juul in the waistband of your jean shorts for a quick mirror picture, we see you.
You’re in college. Having a nicotine addiction is not something that should be considered trendy. If you don’t think addiction is an issue, then consider this a wakeup call.
It’s not cool. It’s not trendy. It needs to stop.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in every five high school students (19.6%) reported in 2020 that they had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.
E-cigarettes have become normalized to where they should be considered a gateway drug. They were not intended to be used by teenagers; they were made as a way for adults to wean off cigarettes and tobacco products. However, they have now attracted a completely different demographic: young, naive teenagers and college students who are unaware of the lasting effects of nicotine on their bodies.
When will it go too far?
When college students are on nicotine patches — is that far enough?
In 2019, a study showed that 22% of college students admitted to vaping nicotine in the last 30 days.
To the people that feel peer pressured to try it, don’t. It is so easy to get addicted, especially for people who have never smoked anything before. Nicotine can also cause issues with the brain regarding focus, memory and learning. Let’s work on stopping the spread.
There are many resources on Baylor’s campus that can help if you are trying to fight this addiction and any others.
This editorial is not meant as an attack on people who vape; instead, it’s a call to action for those who do to stop trying to make vaping into a trend.
Regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not, this is a dangerous product that you are consuming.
One day when you are older and must face the consequences of vaping nicotine, will that last hit really seem all that worth it?
