Vaping is a form of smoking that vaporizes a liquid to be inhaled and exhaled.  Vaping comes in many different shapes and sizes, the smallest being the length of a credit card and as wide as your finger.  There are several similarities between all vapes, including a battery, the nicotine liquid, the sensor, and the vaporizer. The sensor detects the breathing in on the vape and activates a vaporizer powered by a battery which contacts the vape liquid and turns it into vapor.  This smoke is inhaled by the user and exhaled to give a high.  While liquids also vary in flavor, they all contain approximately 3mg – 36mg of nicotine in the modules which are sized differently.  

The danger of vaping to your body is this: Your heart, lungs, brain, and oral hygiene take the biggest beating.  Let’s start with the lungs.  Vaping is associated with a rare disorder called popcorn lung or Bronchiolitis obliterans, inflamed airways called bronchioles.  Popcorn lungs have inflamed tissue inside and limit the space for air to pass through.  This can cause impaired physical function as the lungs have to expand and contract with much more force just to push that air through those shrunken bronchioles.  Then there’s the heart.  After a puff, blood pressure and heart rate increase which can be dangerous over time and even associated with a heart attack and stroke although there isn’t enough evidence yet.  Then there are your gums and teeth.  Inflammation is the most significant risk as the vapor irritates the flesh and can turn into periodontitis which is a serious infection of the gums that is treatable but if left untreated will likely end in the loss of teeth.  Vaping also allows for bacteria to grow on your teeth which rarely but can end in cavities.  The real damage is found in the brain as young people tend to develop stronger dependencies on the drug and so the withdrawals are stronger too.  This powerful addiction poses a great danger to the new generation for these two reasons:  The addiction can divert their priorities in school and they may struggle to maintain relationships and mental health.  Mental health is largely affected by withdrawals which can include depression, anxiety, restlessness, trouble sleeping, and irritability.  For a grown person, this may be okay as they have already handled setting up their life and can improve safety.  But a teen who is restless and irritable in the middle of school will find problems in their grades that can be relentless.  Also, a child’s life is complicated, and having an addiction to handle as well can distract people from the important things in life, such as play, family, friends, and school.  

Overall, vaping poses a serious threat to the new generation in schools all over America.