Vaping has become one of the most talked-about topics affecting high schoolers today. In California, over 161 people have been hospitalized since August and four people have died. So what makes vaping so toxic to the young adult demographic?

E-cigarettes, more commonly referred to as vape pens, are devices that heat up a liquid, producing aerosol or a mix of tiny particles in the air. The aerosol is inhaled by the user, but can also be inhaled by bystanders when the mixture is exhaled. Vape pens can also be used to deliver marijuana or other drugs. While e-cigarettes are claimed to help adult smokers recover from smoking regular cigarettes, there is still much to learn about the effect vaping has on teenagers and young adults.

Here’s what we do know: the aerosol produced by the vape pens can contain harmful substances, such as nicotine and lead. Nicotine is highly addictive and inhibits teenage brain development by warping synapse formation in the brain. It also has the potential to increase future risk for addiction to other drugs.

Vaping seems to not only harm the student body, but the state of our high school bathrooms as well. Senior Pranav Banaru states that bathrooms tend to be filled with students vaping, filling up the area with smoke. Another source that wished to be kept anonymous said there was no reason students should be vaping at school, since it could also affect their ability to learn. Both sources agreed that vaping is unnecessary, unhealthy and has no place in a school setting.

All the facts stated are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website (CDC).