Walk into the girls’ bathroom by Davie High’s B stairwell on any given day, and there’s a good possibility you’ll either catch someone vaping or, at the very least, smell the evidence that has been left behind — a group of girls huddled together around an open stall with someone in it, a fruity smell lingering in the air that is quite obviously not perfume. 

Vaping has become increasingly common among teenagers in recent years. Advertisements for brands like JUUL often target the youth and make it seem like vaping isn’t that bad; they make it seem like a good way to relax from the general stress of life. One DCHS student who wishes to remain anonymous said she started vaping for a few reasons. 

“I think it was mainly because I had, like, maybe a bit of depression, or I saw a lot of people doing it, and I just decided to get myself in that circle,” the student says. 

But vapes are extremely harmful to your body, specifically your lungs. Shortness of breath is considered a minor or short-term effect of vaping, but students like her say that it can interfere with daily activities at school. 

“When I was in gym last year, it affected me because I couldn’t really run that much, or I couldn’t do much physical activities, and the stairs here at school.” 

Medical professionals have also linked vaping to more serious health concerns, including inflammation in the lungs due to inhaling harmful particles that are found in vapes, such as diethylene glycol (most commonly found in antifreeze) and Acrolein (most commonly found in weed killer). 

Because vaping has only become widespread in recent years, many of its long-term effects remain uncertain. Experts believe it will be linked to the increase in lung cancer diagnoses in the future. There are many harmful chemicals in vaping, such as formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. Carcinogens damage your DNA and cause mutations in cells, which multiply and become out of control. These effects, though, aren’t immediate. 

While health professionals say avoiding vaping altogether is the most effective way to reduce exposure to these harmful chemicals, for some students, the allure is simply too strong. Numerous studies show that adolescent brains are extremely vulnerable to the negative effects of nicotine, and it is easier for teens to become addicted. 

“Nicotine is a very addictive thing, and I’ve seen through other people,” the anonymous student says. “And it’s just a very hard thing to quit and stop.”

Although quitting nicotine can be challenging, several resources are available for those seeking help. At Davie High School specifically, there are a few in-person resources, including assistant principal Chelsea Dvorak. 

“I wish that there would be more people who would be like, ‘Hey, look, I’m having to go to the bathroom during class and after every class change and hit the nicotine vape, and I kinda want to stop,’ Dvorak says. “I would be like, ‘Okay, cool. Let’s figure something out for you.” 

Asking for help in person may seem intimidating, but there are several resources online, including the CDC, which gives a step-by-step guide on how to quit, as well as MD Anderson Cancer Center, which gives alternatives to satisfy the craving. The CDC recommends starting with a plan, talking to healthcare providers using support systems such as counseling or quitlines like 1-800-QUIT-NOW or smokefreeTXT for teens. 

Even with these resources, though, quitting often doesn’t go as planned. In 2022, an estimated 2.9 million US adults quit smoking, but 40.8% of the quitters used vapes or other nicotine alternatives (such as nicotine patches or gum) to do so. While often these alternatives are better because they offer a controlled dose of nicotine without the harmful chemicals, nicotine still impacts long-term health and wellbeing. 

The reality, though, is that most teens are not using vapes to stop a smoking addiction — they are starting one. Once they have realized how addicted they have become, quitting is about more than having the right resources; it’s about being willing to ask for help. In a place where the smell of smoke has become routine, that first step can be the hardest one to take.

Lila Moore and Grace Carroll contributed to this article.