One thousand two hundred.

That’s the estimated student count at Mayfield High School, calculated by the estimated 80% of the 1,500 students at the high school, who use e-cigarettes, Juuls, or vape pens, one of the most dangerous habits that became a trend.

This trend is a large health issue within teens today and should be prevented and stopped before more teens get addicted to these dangerous chemicals.

E-cigarettes were originally used to stop smokers from using tobacco, but recently they have been used more by teens. In an article by www.medicalxpress.com it said, “Vape devices have not been proven to help adult smokers quit smoking. Moreover, vaping increases the risk a teen will smoke regular cigarettes later.”

All drugs have a health effect, and vaping is no exception, as it is still a large health risk. “The American College of Cardiology’s 68th scientific session in New Orleans on March 18, reveals that e-cigarette use was associated with higher rates of heart attack, coronary artery disease, and, interestingly, depression,” said www.inverse.com.

Biology teacher, Doctor Nadine Brown, is anti-vaping and mentioned how a carcinogen is the chemical that is most dangerous and causes cancer in cigarettes and vapes. She said, “The same number of carcinogens are being pumped into your lungs as a real cigarette, sometimes more.”

E-cigarette companies have been accused of marketing to teens, which given the evidence would make a lot of sense, and makes selling them even worse. The New York Times said, “The company’s sleek device (nicknamed the iPhone of e-cigarettes) resembles a flash drive and comes with flavor pods like crème and mango, leading public health officials to criticize the company and others for appearing to market directly to teenagers, who are especially vulnerable to nicotine addiction.”

Brown mentioned how one of the main chemicals in vapes is nicotine, one of the second most addictive substances. She said, “It’s very hard to withdraw from nicotine, most people really can’t do it until they go in for medical help. Addiction is a problem because economically the more you smoke the less likely you are to have money because cigarettes are expensive, and the health problems are expensive.”

More and more students are subjecting themselves to this silent killer as each day passes. “Vaping has increased 80 percent in high school students and 50 percent among middle school students since last year,” said www.news4jax.com.

Mayfield High School student, Tara Rassi, has used a vape before, and personally regrets doing so. She said, “It is really bad for my lungs and my breathing, and I already have a bad respiratory system.”

Brown explained how humans in their teenage years evolved to rebel, thus causing them to do risky and dangerous things, but what they do is a choice. She said, “Smart teenagers do risky things, and they do rebel, but they do it in a way that increases survival.”

When teenagers are growing up, cells are dividing quickly still so, chemicals have a larger chance of affecting teens. Brown said, “The younger you are exposed to higher level carcinogens, the greater the chance of getting cancer because if it.”

Rassi also mentioned her understanding on why she feels vaping is dangerous. She said, “ I understand that nicotine is an addictive substance and the way that the vapor is made could cause a lot of damage to your lungs.”

Vaping causes so many health problems, so giving into social peer pressures isn’t worth it. Teens may be rebellious, but putting yourself in danger isn’t the only solution to independence.