Justin Fernandez  is a sophomore in South Broward High School that doesn’t smoke weed or nicotine. Though admittedly, he has used it before. He started vaping because he saw other kids doing it and talking about the variety of addictive flavors: mango, blueberry, watermelon and piña colada.

“I have smoked before and vaped in middle school,” said Fernandez. “I thought it sounded cool. I kept buying and buying several times.”

But along with those yummy flavors is a self-killing chemical compound, called nicotine. “Nic” can cause serious health problems, such as high blood pressure and artery block, which may then lead to heart attacks, cancer, lung diseases, strokes, and potentially–death. 

He noticed that he was getting addicted. The reason for addiction has to do with the brain. Nicotine increases levels of dopomine released into the brain, which helps with relieving stress…thus “teaching” the brain to want to rely on it. But after a while, he decided to stop before it was too late to turn back. However yet again, three months after quitting, he bought a dab pen. He knew it was a mistake, but wanted to remember that feeling of being high and numb. He then discovered he was better off without it.

“It’s your choice if you want to smoke anything in general because you know what’s right and wrong,” said Fernandez. “But it shouldn’t be allowed in school, due to the reason that it’s unhealthy for the people around you that don’t smoke.”