Students and the use of tobacco go back a long way. It should come as no surprise to anyone that the considerably recent emergence of vapes has overtaken the usage of traditional cigarettes. Smaller, easier to hide, and allegedly bearing less of a health deficit—these electronically produced cigarettes or vapes became the new favorite of certain students across the country.

To gather information and input surrounding the topic, I met with a teacher and two students attending Frank H. Peterson. Mrs. Crawford, a teacher in the Communications Academy, shared: “I have seen a student vape. When I caught the student vaping, I had a conversation with him, and wrote him up on a subsequent referral.” Junior Ryan Lewis believes that those who vape are usually ones who have fallen victim to peer pressure. “I think they get into peer pressure… then try to act cool.”

Another junior, German Discua-Miranda, believes that vaping should be avoided at all costs, and that those who vape just try to fit in with others. “Me personally—I don’t think you should do it. It can get very addictive [and leads to smoking.] I think they try to fit in and stuff.” Pertaining to the controversy surrounding vaping in schools, one thing can be for certain: you’re better off, in more ways than one, not smoking at all.