The Catalyst sat down with a few NDB students to get their perspective on e-cigarette use.

The Catalyst (TC): Do you feel that vaping has had a large impact on your life?

Student #1 (S#1): Honestly, I don’t think it has. It’s never been something that has taken a toll on my academics or anything. It’s kind of just been a thing that I do recreationally.

Student #2 (S#2): No, I don’t think so.

Student #3 (S#3): It didn’t really impact it until the beginning of this year.

TC: How often do or did you vape?

S#1: A few times a month. I had a few devices, but I wouldn’t use them unless I was with someone else because I knew that it was unhealthy and whatnot. So, I made sure I was restraining myself. I tried to keep it down to like maybe two or three times a month.

S#2: Once a week, I don’t know. It depends. It’s just a social thing.

S#3: Not that often. Only when I hang out with friends.

TC: Did it affect your academic or athletic performance or your relationship with family or friends?

S#1: It took a toll on my athletic performance because it was harder for me to breathe. I think with my friends, it kind of strengthened it, because it made me feel like I fit in more, which is sad, but, you know, you feel like you’re part of the group.

S#2: I hope not. I don’t think so. My family does not know. Nobody knows. It’s just a social thing.

S#3: It started to impact my athletic career a little bit.

TC: If you could go back in time, would you vape again? Do you wish you knew more about it before you started?

S#1: Yeah, I definitely wish I knew more. I think it wasn’t until more research came out that I realized this isn’t reversible and my lungs are probably all messed up now. Just knowing that there’s no way to revitalize my lungs after this, there’s no way for me to get better, I just want to maintain.

S#2: It’s kind of scary. Sometimes, when I say [addiction] as a joke, I realize that crippling nicotine addiction is a thing. I don’t know. It’s something that, when I’m not around it, it doesn’t matter. But, socially, you know, it’s just a social thing.

S#3: I wish I had known more before starting.

TC: Was it easy to buy vape products?

S#1: It was pretty easy. I had friends that would have friends that would deal stuff. So, it was easy for me. Also, the neighborhood that I live in, there’s a lot of kids. So, a lot of people my age.

S#2: You know, after awhile, you kind of know where to go or what to do. So, it’s not hard anymore.

S#3: Very easy.

TC: What would you like to say to other students about vaping?

S#1: I think that a lot of people are joking about how they’re going to quit Juuling after all these studies are coming out. But, I think they’re missing the reality of it. And, it’s hard to know that there are people out there that are suffering from lung disease, but it’s hard to perceive it as more than just a number and think of it as “Okay, this could be me if I don’t stop right now.”

S#2: I would say that you don’t need to do it, especially with nic and stuff. That stuff is really scary, and I don’t think anyone should be doing nic freshman and sophomore year.

S#3: Don’t get into vaping; it’s hard to stop.

TC: What would you like to say to the school about vaping?

S#1: Vape is not the same thing as weed. You can’t get high off of vape. It won’t mess up  my academic performance necessarily, whereas weed would.

S#2: Just chill out. The kids that are going to do it are going to do it, and the kids that aren’t going to do it aren’t going to do it. It’s no use making the kids that do it feel [expletive deleted] cause it’s gonna happen regardless. I just feel like there’s no need to make people feel bad because they’re not going to stop.

S#3: I’m gonna try to stop and I know it’s not good.

TC: Some teachers have been saying students are vaping in bathrooms and blowing it into the toilet or during class and blowing it into their backpacks. Thoughts?

S#1: Creativity. I know that Juul has nicotine in it. It makes you feel the need to vape more. So, going to those extents, like… you aren’t that addicted [where] you can’t not vape. You can live without vape. You can totally live without vape. I think that that’s just excessive. That’s just asking for attention at that point.

S#2: Oh, my God. That’s not true at all. That’s a false stereotype that a lot of boomers have made up because they want to. Traditionally, boomers want to demonize our generation, and so they’re going to make everything extreme. People are not vaping in the classroom. They’re not blowing it into the toilet; the toilets smell disgusting! No one wants to spend any extra time in there than they don’t have to.

S#3: Yeah, definitely. I’ve gone to the bathroom multiple times and have just seen smoke go up. I myself did it at the beginning of the year just because I thought it was cool, but I learned don’t do that.

TC: Do you think that students vaping on campus is a big issue?

S#1: Not really. I wouldn’t consider it a big issue. They’re doing it at their own risk, and it’s affecting them. But, it hasn’t affected any of the girls around them. I don’t think it’s affecting the community as a whole.

S#2: No, it’s not a big issue at all. I’ve never seen anyone vape in the classroom. I’ve seen people like my friends at public school that are literally in class blowing clouds and their teachers are just turned around.

S#3: No, I think it’s a lesser issue here than compared to public schools and other schools.

TC: What level of involvement do you feel that the school should have in this issue?

S#1: I think that you should follow through with this whole issue as if it were the same thing as a cigarette. Have the same policies because it’s an electronic cigarette. So, if that means not smoking at school, then not vaping at school.

S#2: I don’t know. I just think it’s not a big issue at Notre Dame, and our school resources can definitely be allocated to something that’s actually going to have an impact as opposed to making adults that are out of touch feel like they’ve done something good with their lives, and they haven’t. I think our money should be spent towards doing something that will positively impact the school.

S#3: Yeah, I feel like they should be involved because it has become a lot more common over the years. So, I think this would take more of a stand to it because people are catching on to it and a lot more. It’s a lot more common now.