In the beginning of what felt like 2014, the ideology and upbeat sense of the use of electric tobacco products known as “vape culture” has flooded our social media platforms and the minds of many teens and young adults.

The idea of smoking and drinking has always been appealing to the youth, and has increased dramatically in the 20th century with e-cigarettes.

With the changing technology, new vape products like Pods, Juuls, and other nicotine ridden products have become easier for teens to obtain, and with the resurge in marijuana use, teen drug use is becoming normalized.

The fact that drug use has become normalized and accepted is not okay and the necessary actions should be taken to dilute this epidemic.

E-cigarettes, also known as “vapes,” have made a spike in popularity in the last year from 11.7 percent of high schoolers to around 20 percent. That is about 3 million teens admitting to having a nicotine addiction from different types of Pods and, Juuls. 24 percent of teens are reported to vape on a daily basis says Newport Academy.

The fact that the most that schools are doing is putting up “vaping kills” signs outside  of the bathroom, rather than educating the student body on what the effects are is dumbfounding.

In the United States, according to therecoveryvillage.com, 35.1 percent of high school seniors smoked Marijuana last year. That may be below half, but it is still a big enough number to be a problem that people refuse to address. If people do not smoke marijuana, they will vape.

Vaping has become a major issue in schools across America, including Bellevue Schools. Memes and celebrity use plastered all over social media promoting the use of various vape products and sensationalizing the use of these products have also influenced the young minds attraction to the products.

Harder drugs such as opioids (pain killers), LSD, and acid are also falling into the hands of teens and young adults. Nearly 25 percent of high school students in America have used at least one type of illicit drug.

Over 2 percent of high school seniors are addicted to cocaine. This is all because the topic of drug use is not talked about enough to students.

Small units in health classes shed light on the fact that drugs exist and adults use them, but never once have I heard the statistics of teen use prior to research on my own time.

Nicotine in general raises blood pressure, and could cause a heart attack. Different liquid additives such as glycerol and glycol have been linked to cancer and heart disease.

Also from Newport Academy,  chemicals in the different e-juice flavors have been linked to blood cell damage.

Stimulant drugs, such as cocaine, cause people to experience paranoia, irritability, and a plethora of other short term effects. As for long term, weight loss, eating disorders and other serious health complications come into play.

So with all the drama behind the harm of these products, why is it becoming normalized? Why do people just expect teens to do this, and why is more to rid the issue not being done?

Of course, the use of drugs in teens will never go away, but making fact that there is a problem and implementing into health and science curriculums the effects of what they choose to put in their bodies is a start to deterring people from harming themselves and people around them.