By now, everyone knows that smoking cigarettes is bad. It has been said in every health class since elementary school. In fact, anti smoking ads are on billboards and in commercials on TV. People are also warned of risks to the heart, lungs and brain. However one issue that people seem less concerned about is vaping. Popularly thought of as being less harmful than traditional cigarettes, teens are more inclined to start vaping than ever before.

Glenbard South is not immune to the up and coming trend that is vaping. According to Mr. White, the dean of students, the number of students caught vaping has increased over the past years. The administration is very concerned with how widespread it has become, especially because many students do not really realize how bad vaping actually is. Another concern is that vaping has become more and more targeted toward teens. Students may be attracted to the fun flavors, see others doing it, and start vaping without thinking of the long term consequences.

The problem with vaping is that it is so widespread. It is not just one group of people who are vaping. It is spread across all grades, social circles and activities. Even students in AP classes and in the music program are vaping. Students vape in bathrooms and in locker rooms. Though it may not seem like it is happening—it is—and it is a problem.

In order to counteract this rise in vaping, the administration puts a heavy emphasis on the dangers of vaping in freshman health classes. They want to highlight the emphasis early– that vaping is not as harmless as the media makes it out to be, so that later in high school, students are able to make better decisions. Teachers are also being warned about how to identify the visuals and the smells of vaping as it can be difficult to tell if a student is vaping in class.

This modern epidemic deserves some attention. A common thought around the school is that vaping is not a big deal, or that it is not that bad for students. When a student gets caught for vaping, many people mock the administration for being so picky about something that is so unimportant. However, it seems that many students are uneducated about the dangers of vaping. Maybe, if more students know the long term effects of this behavior, they will think twice about following a trend just to look cool.