Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
T F I R S T G L A N C E , the San Leandro High School teacher thought he was looking at a memory stick inserted into the USB port on the Chromebook. But a closer look revealed it to be a vaping device recharging in the school's computer. I n s c h o o l h a l l w a y s , b a t h r o o m s a n d e v e n c l a s s r o o m s , v a p i n g h a s b e c o m e c o m m o n p l a c e , s a y s c h o o l e m p l o y e e s . An d it d o e s n o t a pp e a r t o b e g o i n g o u t of fashion any time soon . Va p i n g i s a p r a c t i c e w h e r e b a tt e r y - operated devices heat nicotine-laced liquid to generate an aerosol that's inhaled. Unlike tobacco, vaping has a sweet smell that dis- sipates quickly. Because the most popular devices are small, discreet and easy to use, a student taking a puff in a bathroom, hallway or classroom may escape notice. e smell may be pleasant — with flavors like mango, cotton candy and sour patch — but the side effects are anything but. Vaping is harmful to health and extremely addictive. Studies show that high levels of nicotine have a dramatic impact on developing brains. Vaping, which also includes products that use THC, the high- inducing chemical in cannabis, has been linked to at least 23 deaths in 17 states. More than 1,000 people have developed lung prob- lems as a result of vaping (see sidebar, page 29). Devices have exploded in users' hands, faces and pockets, causing disfigurement. "A lot of students think it's harmless, but they are taking dangerous chemicals into their bodies," says San Leandro High School's Tobacco- Use Prevention Education (TUPE) coordinator Dave Mason. (While vaping is not tobacco, schools can use San Leandro High School peer educators Rosemary Che, Patrick Campana and Katelyn Ross present information on vaping's harmful effects. Inset: Slide from a presentation created by peer educators. A Risky Business Educators see the dangers of teen vaping By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin Photos by Scott Buschman 26 cta.org Dave Mason feature