Recently, the members of Schreiber’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club launched their new campaign against vaping.  This ongoing campaign focuses on the issue of teen vaping, as there has been a dramatic rise in vaping, especially among high school students, as of late. 

“We have been working on this campaign since mid-December. I think this is important because since vaping is available to anyone these days, the people who do it might as well know the risks and how it’s harming them,” said junior Lindsey Smith.

Large companies, such as Juul, have appealed to a large mass of teens and young adults. In fact, from 2011 to 2015, vaping among high school students has increased by 900 percent.  There are many dangers associated with vaping, and spreading awareness of what these risks are among Schreiber’s student body is precisely what SADD is trying to achieve through its campaign. 

One of the points SADD highlighted in their campaign was that teens are particularly vulnerable to the effects of nicotine because their brains are still rapidly developing.  Most types of e-cigarettes, including those from the most popular brand Juul, contain nicotine, the addictive drug found in traditional tobacco cigarettes.  In addition, the long-term effects of vaping remain unknown because of how current the phenomena is. Since no study has been conducted that can provide information on the long-term effects of e-cigarette use, it is also still unknown if the risks outweigh the benefits of switching from traditional tobacco cigarettes.

The club hosted their first event for their campaign on Jan. 24 in the lobby.  They prepared for months in advanced by creating posters, making models of Juuls and Juul Pods, and crafting their slogan “take a pop, not a pod,” which was also the phrase that the students involved said while handing out lollipops to fellow Schreiber students.  As students walked past the SADD members, who were also distributing pamphlets of the dangers of vaping, some were curious and took a look at the models set up. Meanwhile, others were not as touched.  

“Even though many students disliked our campaign because they thought it was controversial – that was the point!  We want everyone to know that vaping, despite what Juul Labs and other companies tell you, is actually extremely bad for you,” said president of SADD junior Adam Salzman.  “We encourage you to think about the consequences before you take your next hit.” 

This was a common goal amongst the SADD members, as they all wish to continue to promote good decisions for students’ health.

SADD tries to aim to make a difference in the Schreiber community and is hopeful that this anti-vape campaign will help students make more informed decisions in the future when it comes to substances harming their bodies.