JUPITER, Fla. — The headlines are getting scarier across the country with teenagers ending up in the ICU -- sometimes in a coma -- after severe reactions to prolonged vaping.
As the e-cigarette trend grows among teens, there is some hope.
Local clubs against vaping are also growing on high school and middle school campuses.
“It’s pretty scary,”sophomore Tatiana Pazbedolla said. “If you continue to do this, it will affect you.”
She’s a member of Students Working Against Tobaccoclub at Jupiter Community High School.
They are crusaders in stopping the vaping trend in its tracks.
“It’s hard to say no to your friends at this age,” club adviser and teacher Sherman Steele said.
He said they’ve always focused on cigarette smoking and other tobacco products since forming the club in 2009 but this is the first school year that they’re now shifting their focus on vaping and e-cigarettes.
The age in Florida to purchase e-cigarettes is 18 years old. Some municipalities have passed ordinances to raise the age to 21. Click here to learn more about Florida's vaping laws.
Still, high school age students can get a hold of vaping products through friends and get addicted to the nicotine in them.
“We’re just getting this information. When it first came out, everyone thought it’s a safer alternative to smoking,” Steele said. “With the cigarettes, there was a smell and the sight of the cigarette. You knew. With the e-cigarettes, Juuls and vaping now, they look like USB drives or a pen or pencil.”
In the SWAT club, students encourage each other and learn about the dangers of smoking tobacco and vaping products.
“Some kids think that smoking is cool but being cool in this aspect could affect your health and lead to your death,” said Steele.
The club’s goal is education and awareness and using the power of members to counter-influence their own peers against vaping.
“I’m glad they see what it could do to you and they’re aware of it now and they stop now while it’s still early on,” said Pazbedolla, who serves as the club’s president-elect.
There are 17 members in the club this year with different backgrounds.
Senior Josh Glesil just joined the club this school year.
“Small things make a big impact sometimes,” he said. “I feel like the freshmen, they’re younger and look up to seniors. I’ve always like helping people and now that the problem is more around my age, I feel like I can have a bigger impact.”
He happens to be a star basketball player and wants to encourage other athletes to pledge against vaping.
“As an athlete, I feel like you have to be in shape in order to play at your best potential, so that’s why I don’t do it,” he said.
The club also has an anti-vaping drop off box on the campus.
“Where our students can just turn in their vapes, turn in their Juuls, and e-cigarettes with no questions asked, no penalties,” Steele said.
The group is planning anti-vaping campaigns this year and hopes more schools will consider starting clubs to get kids on the same mindset.
“I do know there’s more conversation,” he said. “The more you talk about it, the more it gets in their minds of how dangerous it is.”
If a teacher or student wants to start their own anti-vaping club on campus, all you have to do is contact your local county health department and they’ll give you all the educational materials you need to get started.