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Robinson High School 6311 S. Lois Ave., Tampa, FL 33616
Volume 58, issue 3 |february, 2018
news
Whats inside • Find out why physics students are frustrated with their class
pg 2
opinion
• See what staffers think about Valentine’s Day
sports
By Lillian Martin News Editor
• Take a look at a photo gallery of boys basketball and read about the cheer team’s recent success
pg 4
feature
pg 6
• Check out some of the biggest events of 2017
A&E
pg 5
• Read the movie review on Darkest Hour
pg 8
Struggling with Addiction? Find more information on how to receive help by using Snapchat to scan the QR code below.
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Addiction. Secrets. Misconceptions. E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular, and users don’t know the consequences.
everal years ago, smoking cigarettes was a huge trend among high school students. Fast forward to modern day, and the unofficially labeled “cancer stick” is now considered taboo, but it didn’t leave without something new taking its place; the e-cigarette. The use of the e-cigarettes, JUUL’s and PHIX’s, have become increasingly popular throughout the country. Seeing kids blow out clouds of smoke in the hallways has become a widespread new normal, and more and more students are finding themselves addicted to the nicotine associated with them. “I started Juuling socially around friends and stuff, but then I started doing it more when I was home. Now it’s kind of just a constant thing, like I need to have it,” Jessica* (’18) said. “I know it’s probably not great for me, but it’s better than smoking cigarettes.” E-cigarette companies claim that they are an alternative to smoking cigarettes. They are seen to be healthier, cleaner, and generally better than the traditional cigarette. They are now the most commonly used form of tobacco by youth in the U.S., however according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they aren’t all they’re cut out to be. A recent study done by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that e-cigarettes are safer than cigarettes, however this doesn’t necessarily mean that they are safe overall. Another study, conducted by the UNC school of medicine, found that not only do e-cigarettes trigger the same immune responses that normal cigarettes do; they spur unique immune responses, too. There are no long term studies on their effects on the body, but based on the studies done within recent years, they are still extremely harmful and seemingly addictive. Nonetheless, many users fail to realize that. “We know that the vapor from e-cigarettes is harmful because it contains harmful ingredients, including nicotine,” an article on the CDC website read. “Nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing brain.” A large sum of students believe
that the use of an e-cigarette is virtually harmless. They don’t know about the risks associated, presumably because of the little research done on them thus far. “I mean; I don’t think they’re really that harmful. I’m addicted to the nicotine now but it’s safe for my body, I think,” Ryan*(‘19) said. “I have to do it a lot throughout the day. Sometimes I’ll go through a whole pod in one day. That’s just life now.” The amount of nicotine in one JUUL pod is equivalent to about one whole pack of cigarettes. They also contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals according to an article published by NBC news, and inhalation of these substances causes inflammation within the lungs. Users going through several pods per week are at a serious risk for addiction, and at a high risk for smoking cigarettes or using other cancer causing, tobacco-related products later in life, according to a recent article published by the New York Times. Many students found themselves vaping merely because everyone else was doing it, maybe at a party or other social events. Escalation of the usage was quick though, and now, most categorize it as something they need in their life. Just as many teens can’t leave the house without their phone, some now cannot leave the house without their e-cigarette. “I use my JUUL all
day, every day. I get anxious when I don’t have it on me. It’s not even fun to do it anymore. It started as something I just picked up on because all of my friends were doing it, and now it’s basically a necessity,” said Maggie* (‘19). “I tried quitting, but it was hard. I’ll quit eventually.” Hillsborough County Schools has a strict tobacco/smoke free policy, which includes the use of e-cigarettes. However, students still bring their e-cigarettes to school with them, and seem to find various ways to use them throughout the day. They aren’t too concerned with getting caught. “Juuling at school is easy to get away with, and I think that’s why so many of us do it,” Jamie* (‘20) said. “I can do it in class without my teachers knowing. Passing is easy too, nobody notices through the crowds.” Many teachers aren’t fully aware of what JUUL’s and PHIX’s even are, as they aren’t extremely noticeable. Some even compare the looks of them to USB drives. With over 1,600 students on campus, it can prove difficult to spot the ones blowing out clouds of smoke. “I think teachers should be more aware, but it’s hard sometimes,” Christopher Pettit, assistant principal of Robinson said. “There’s so much going on in a day, and we have to weigh out the issues and priorities.” There have been four tobacco/smoke related referrals from Robinson alone as of Dec. 22, 2017, and while that number may not seem big, it’s certainly higher than the zero tobacco/smoke related referrals Robinson had during the 2016-2017 school year. “Anytime students are told they can’t have something, naturally they’re going to try it,” Pettit said. “The whole vaping thing, it’s not safe. It’s not healthy.” So, how long is the vaping trend going to last, especially around Robinson’s students? That’s a hard question to answer, as many students gave different answers. Some say they think it’ll last only a few more months, others say years. The general consensus however, was that it’s going to be hard for the trend to die as long as kids stay addicted. “I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. Most of my friends juul, and even a ton of my college friends do it too. Its huge,” Brian* (‘18) said. “So many people are addicted to the nicotine now, so it’s kind of going to be hard for it to just blow away.” * Names have been changed to protect our sources.