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Opinion

Mustacchio: Vaping among my classmates is no longer the exception

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As a sophomore high school student athlete I have seen firsthand that people my age who vape are no longer the exception but the majority.

I have played sports throughout high school and have seen how nicotine addiction affects my teammates.

In a group of student athletes, I could not find more than five of my peers who don’t vape. It has become so normalized at my school and among my classmates that many don’t realize the dangers that come with a nicotine addiction. It seems that all they see is the warnings on the box and never the horror that those warnings mean.

When you play sports you need to be healthy and in the best shape you can be. Some kids can’t stop vaping and really struggle with cardio training. I have seen teammates get kicked off the team because they failed a drug test due to vaping. Addiction can cripple you, your high school experience and your performance on the field.

Officially, 20.8% of high schoolers vape but that seems extremely low compared to what I have seen on campus. Schools can only control kids behavior for part of their lives.

Parents also only see part of their kids’ day.

Teens can easily access and use any nicotine product when they aren’t at home or school. This means that the decision to vape and potentially start a lifelong addiction and health issues is up to the teen.

I have seen first hand the truly crippling nature of a nicotine addiction. My grandmother died of cancer caused by her smoking addiction.

Classmates of mine are so tied to it they vape in class and have a hard time functioning without it. Vaping is just like smoking a cigarette. Nicotine in any form can cause many diseases including cancer.

I believe vaping is a more serious problem than it is made out to be affecting all students, athletes or not. I think flavors are the gateway to my friends’ nicotine addiction.

The only way I see this changing is with a change to the law. I find it surprising that action hasn’t already been taken. About 80% of the teens who vape started because of the flavored options. The flavors hide the true nature of nicotine.

This is a public health crisis and we need to treat it like one.

I implore City Council members to make a change to stop the sale of flavored tobacco products. As the City Council, you are responsible for the safety of the teens of Phoenix.

This is a dire situation that needs your help so that thousands of Phoenix teens don’t become life long tobacco and nicotine addicts and suffer the dire health consequences.

I know you are good leaders who want the best for Phoenix. Thank you for taking action to protect us all.

Editor’s Note: Anthony Mustacchio is a sophomore at Paradise Valley High School who wrestles and plays football. Mr. Mustacchio is a youth ambassador for the Phoenix Flavors Ban campaign supported by the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids.