With the progression of sports and athletics over the years, vaping and the usage of e-cigarettes have become more common in teenagers.
Vaping can be seen both in and outside of school and sports as student-athletes decide to vape. Student-athletes face many daily challenges, and the choice to vape should not be one of them.
Breathing in flavored vapor has become a widespread issue for high school students. The act of vaping becomes addictive due to the properties of the drug nicotine. Student-athletes may find the substance to be calming or rewarding, leading them to vape multiple times a day.
The effects of vaping can be visible to coaches through an athlete’s performance because they aren’t performing at their best.
“It hurts their performance, especially in sports that require a lot of cardiovascular health,” said the girls’ track and field and cross-country coach, Chad Wallace. “They won’t be able to perform as well; they won’t be able to get oxygen to their bodies to get the energy they need, and they will just lower their performance overall.”
Decreased performance due to vaping is not only seen by coaches but also recognized by teammates and other student-athletes.
“I think coaches may see just a little bit of a difference, but it also kinda depends, I think,” junior Alexa Lansberry said. “Like athletes that vape may take more breaks to breathe while performing their sport and are more attached to vaping than they are to their sport.”
To escape the addictive properties of vaping through the consumption of nicotine, student-athletes should address their addiction, make better choices of who they surround themselves with and spend their free time more wisely.
“Finding alternative activities, maybe finding new friend groups, getting themselves into activities where they wouldn’t have the chance just to have leisure time to vape,” Wallace said.
Another lesson that addicted student-athletes must learn is that vaping will not solve any of their problems. Sports and academics should be placed higher in their minds regarding importance.
“Continue to work hard and remember why you love the sport you play,” Lansberry said.
Love and passion for aspects of life, such as sports or school, will help student-athletes address their addictions healthily.
As new generations of athletes and sports progress, addiction to drugs such as vaping must be taken care of. Student-athletes need support and care from trusted friends and individuals to leave their addictions and prosper as athletes.
