Schools are cracking down on students’ vaping habits.
There have already been strict punishments in place for getting caught smoking on Santa Fe’s campus. The first offense would result in a six-week suspension and the second offense earns you a semester-long suspension; but now, with more advanced vape detectors as well as cameras outside the bathrooms, more and more students are being caught.
Gen Z was on track to be the generation to end smoking for good: with all the anti-cigarette commercials and anti-drug speakers in elementary schools, we had no desire to ruin our lungs. That was until tobacco companies began marketing products towards children. Fruity flavors and colorful packaging made nicotine so tempting that many students started smoking as early as middle school.
“I started when I was 14. I’ve been trying to quit since I got caught the first time,” an anonymous student said. “It feels easy at first until you get stressed and reach for that solution. Every time you promise someone you’ll stop in the back of your mind, you know you will end up disappointing them.”
A common misconception is that students who smoke are “bad” or “rebellious”, but this is not always the case. Unhealthy coping mechanisms come in all different forms. Some people believe that smoking will help with anxiety or other mental health issues. This is misguided though: nicotine exacerbates the effects of these problems. Tobacco and nicotine use is linked to worsened symptoms of anxiety and depression. According to the National Institutes of Health, it shows “high comorbidity” with several mental illnesses.
Many of the vapes confiscated on school grounds have also contained THC, which is the psychoactive chemical in cannabis.
“I had my pen [vape containing cannabis] taken by the school,” a second anonymous student said, “looking back I should have waited until I got home. It wasn’t worth the consequences.”
Resources are available to help students struggling with addiction or mental health in any form. Reach out to a trusted adult or counselor or visit Edmond Public Schools’ mental health resources for more information.
