Vaping has turned into a worldwide epidemic. Researchers are now trying to inform people about the dangers of vaping. 

A Prowler survey of 203 students conducted at lunch showed about 50 percent of students admit to vaping at least once in their life, with about 22% admitting to vaping more than twice a week..

Freshman Kadence Carter, who has moved since her interview, admits she has vaped for the past two years.

“Vaping is not really a big deal to me because I don’t think it’s that bad for you as long as you do it right,” Carter said. “I am aware of the many people who have died but that’s because they were mixing things with it.”

To help students know the dangers of vaping, Caney Creek hosted its first anti-vaping seminar Wednesday in the LGI from 6-7 p.m. Annie Trostel from the Regional Tobacco Coordinator at the Texas Department of State Health Services talked about about the vaping addiction crisis the youth faces today. Trostel shared information to help prevent kids from engaging in vaping. 

Centers for Disease Control released an advisory that vape products should never be used by underage people.

“The vapes are kind of a hidden thing unlike cigarettes because when you light a cigarette you can smell it,” Assistant Principal Wohn Harden said. “Kids start vaping because it’s the cool thing to do and then all of a sudden it becomes very addicting. It’s more addicting than your average cigarette.”

Nurse Karla Palmer says that vaping speeds up the heart rate.

“I have had kids come in and admit to me that they have vaped since their freshman year and they feel like their lungs are just really torn up,” Palmer said. “They say they have difficulty breathing and they admit that it was related to vaping.”

The number of deaths from vaping has reached 34 and hundreds more have faced life-threatening illnesses. Out of the 203 students polled, 29% said they vape less or stopped vaping due to health concerns while the other 71% said they have not.

As a Conroe ISD police officer Roland Weber says that he doesn’t deal with the discipline of getting caught with regular vapes, only ones with THC oils. 

“If you are in possession of a vape at school your AP will probably give you in-school suspension,” Weber said. “If any police officer sees you outside of school property vaping or in possession of a vape it is a misdemeanor and you will get a ticket.”

A female junior, who wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of getting in trouble, says that she got her vape from her 18-year-old boyfriend. 

“I don’t think that vaping is a big deal because everyone else does it,” she said. “I started vaping because my friend had a vape and I tried it. Next thing you know, I had my own vape.”