Abstract: This article examines the impact that electronic cigarettes and nicotine, a drug that has seen a large increase in usage in recent years, have on adolescents. Dangers to health, including as social and emotional aspects, are presented. This is an analysis article that includes references to various studies conducted on the youth population regarding the effects that e-cigarette usage has on student and athlete life, as well as teacher reports on the academic struggles that e-cigarette users endure. 

• Athletic

A 2018 secondary analysis was performed on data gathered from United States Army soldiers in 2016. A control group with individuals who had no history of Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS) usage was compared to at that time, current ENDS users, as well as smokers. Age and physical training routines were adjusted for, and a Fisher’s exact test was utilized to measure statistical differences between the two tested groups. 

A total of 2,854 men were tested among the four groups, with an average age of 24.6 years. The study identified the non-users as the most physically “fit”, averaging the best on all fitness tests. ENDs users were found to have mean differences of +27 seconds on the 2-mile run, -4.56 on pushups, and -2.01 on situps compared to non-users. Smokers were found to have a difference of +8 seconds on the run, -2.15 on pushups, and -1.44 on situps, a drastically  less difference than what ENDS users had. The study thus concluded that army soldiers who engaged in e-cigarette usage had a noticeably lower level of fitness compared to non-users, as well as smokers [1]. 

The respiratory impairment in individuals resulting from e-cigarette use was not just confined to this study. In 2019 alone, there were 1,888 lung injuries stemming from the continued usage of vaping products [2]. Regardless of high school demographics, vaping-addicted teenagers were recorded to have a high tendency to miss sports practices in order to fulfill a smoking break and subsequently became quickly fatigued in both practices and competition due to substantial lung damage [3]. 

The health detriments regarding e-cigarette use have been heavily discussed thus far. Yet vaping’s impact on athletic performance does not simply end at one’s body. To many, vaping may not compromise their health, but individuals can still face a variety of consequences related to athletics. Many schools often have zero-tolerance policies regarding tobacco usage. When these policies are violated, severe punishments can follow-such as permanent suspension from school sports. In 2019, one Texas high school removed a third of its cheerleading team when photos of the girls vaping were leaked on social media, as it went against school regulations. In the same year, fourteen athletes were suspended or removed from their football program at a high school in Kamas, Utah, after security footage revealed that they had been vaping on school buses [4]. In short, vaping’s impact on athletics isn’t limited to the physical body. There are plenty of other long-term consequences-such as losing a prized position on a sports team-that can arise from e-cigarettes. Even if you don’t experience the negative health effects commonly associated with vaping, what happens if you are caught? What happens if you are then kicked off of the team? Are you willing to throw away hundreds of hours of hard work and dedication to your passion, for a quick puff? We make thousands of decisions each day. Why can’t the decision to abstain from vaping be one of them?

• Academic

In another study, 28 teachers from various regions of the United States were gathered in the fall of 2019 for a discussion on vaping’s effects within the school environment. Each of the teachers had at least four years of teaching experience and taught at schools with at least 300 students. To minimize any potential bias, each of the teachers were representatives of different age groups that spanned from 25 to 71 years old. Teachers made various comments on their classroom experience in dealing with the presence of vaping across the student body. One of the biggest concerns that they stressed involved the drastic and apparent shift in behavior among many students, especially with those who were seemingly addicted. Half of the surveyed teachers noted that vaping had played a significant role in a student’s declining attendance and increasing tardiness. Many were late to, or even neglected class because they had taken the time to vape. Some remarked that students had even resorted to vaping during class sessions, oftentimes doing it secretly and in times of independent learning where the teacher was less involved (i.e class experiments). This in turn has led to many classroom disruptions, to the point where it became a daily occurrence. One teacher recalled how those who vaped were constantly taken out of class to talk to school administration for their actions, with the disruptions wasting class time and affecting the learning experiences of other students. 

The teachers who participated in the study (33%) also warned of vaping’s detrimental effects on grades. Teachers observed how nicotine dependency led to mood swings and altered students’ academic priorities. Those who vaped identified themselves with other vapers and social groups that continued to have a negative influence on them, leading to widespread apathy for schoolwork [5]. 

• Social

E-cigarettes have commonly been advertised as an alternative to traditional tobacco products that can mitigate addiction. However, they still contain nicotine, which ultimately fuels addiction, rather than mitigating it. And with nicotine addiction, there can be a variety of social implications that can result from potential withdrawal. Some of these symptoms include irritability, restlessness, general anxiety and depression, and problems in concentrating. Mental health problems, especially concerning depression, continue to persist with e-cigarette usage. E-cigarettes, and nicotine usage as a whole, lowers impulse control and alters the formation of synapses, which can impair an individual’s attention and ability to learn [6]. 

Many also turn to vaping as a means to lower stress. In a 2019 study based in a co-educational high school in Toronto, 79 students between grades 10-12 were surveyed. Both vapers and non-vapers were included. Survey questions were adapted from the 2019 Environics Research and Health Canada “Vapers Panel Survey”, and Sections I-V within the survey measured family history of vaping and demographics, vaping habits, factors prompting individuals to vape, peer vaping patterns, and the self-esteem and stress levels of participants, respectively. In the section analyzing the various reasons for these high-schoolers to vape, it was found that the most common cause among participants was for stress relief (70%). Yet in Section V, to identify any correlations between e-cigarette usage and mental health complications, both vaping and non-vaping participants completed the APA Perceived Stress Scale, and the research determined that individuals who vaped had higher stress levels than non-vapers. Ironically, those who had sought to lower stress by vaping found themselves more stressed than those who abstained from e-cigarettes [7]. 

After stress relief, the second most common incentive for vaping was peer influence (60%) [7]. Such is most troubling. Are we meant to live in a world where individuals do not want to think for themselves? With such strong peer influence, addiction fuels addiction. And once addiction is reached, it is a long uphill battle to overcome it. Is this what we want? A society where individuals are intentionally seeking addiction?

• Personal

Many of these studies I have mentioned may seem like rare occurrences. That a few, specific studies cannot apply to the general youth population. Yet I have noticed in my own life that vaping has become an inevitable problem that must soon be addressed. I once participated in an initiative to perform a variety of community-service acts across the county, meant to strengthen character and demonstrate the importance of the environment. While I saw it to be a seemingly harmless activity that would only bring good, some of my peers had different responses. When the program had concluded and all participants had returned, I asked around to see what everyone’s experiences were like. While the group I was in didn’t seem to have a problem with it, others reported that upperclassmen in their groups, specifically the older participants, had discreetly headed to the bathroom to vape during the community service activities. The supervisors had not noticed, but many of the participants did. Just to reward themselves with a quick vape, these participants deliberately avoided a program that would only do them and their community good. If an entire community can be affected by vaping in a single school, the implications of the increasingly widespread vaping trend across the entire nation are unimaginable. 

• Conclusion

Given the prevalence of electronic cigarettes among today’s adolescents, it is highly imperative that individuals, both users and non-users alike, are aware of its implications. Vapes are commonly advertised as a better, healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, but this does not mean that there are no consequences for their use. And in certain instances, they can prove to have more severe impacts. Extensive research and media coverage have shown that electronic cigarette usage deteriorates physical fitness, as well as jeopardizes individuals’ coveted positions in team sports. In the classroom, vaping has demonstrated its effect on students and teachers alike, fostering an unhealthy educational environment and culture and damaging student-teacher relationships. And from an individual aspect, electronic cigarettes can cause a wide range of mental health and emotional difficulties, rather than alleviate them. Its consequences are profound.  Therefore, vaping should be avoided and is not, as claimed, a viable alternative to traditional cigarette usage.

• Afterthought

Those who read this may be appalled by such an unpopular message. After all, how can one paper influence the way the US, and countries around the world, view and practice vaping? It sounds almost stupid to say that listening to a single high-school student’s advice will leave a profound message on the vaping culture among the youth. What would seemingly change? But then again, the civil rights movement all began with one bus ride, when many believed that challenging legalized racism was futile. Just one spark, one push is needed to create a force powerful enough to open the eyes of the world to fundamental issues of society that lurk in the darkness. While this essay is just a jumble of paper, words, and ink with no actual authority, it does lay out the plain and simple facts-that vaping is an extremely dangerous activity that can only do harm. I can’t force people to listen to this message, but I can ask them to think about their actions and how they will shape the future, not just of themselves but also of their world. Choosing to abstain from vaping is just a first, crucial step to teaching future individuals, future communities, and future generations to choose doing what is right over doing what may feel good. And then, maybe, just maybe, we can stop one of the biggest, most dangerous social crises we have ever seen. 

References

[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31759803/

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/a1031-lung-injury-cases.html

[3] https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2019/08/vaping-high-school-athletes/

[4] 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sponsor-story/beasley-allen/2019/12/02/vaping-negatively-impacts-student-athletes-health/4298607002/

[5] https://truthinitiative.org/research-resources/emerging-tobacco-products/classroom-crisis-how-youth-vaping-epidemic-impacting

[6] https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/Quick-Facts-on-the-Risks-of-E-cigarettes-for-Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults.html

[7] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/33fd/d534c784ee9f8eac2993f287f547457379fa.pdf