It’s a well-known fact that nicotine is an addictive and unhealthy drug. Unfortunately, many disregard this fact and choose to use nicotine anyways. Some of the many that choose to ignore that fact, include the youth of our society.

According to a study done by the CDC in 2020, about every one in five high school students use electronic cigarettes and about every five in 100 high school students smoke cigarettes or use other nicotine-related products. Nicotine is not a joke and the effects that it can have not only on an adult, but also on a teenager can be devastating. 

The physical consequences of using nicotine, even if it’s only once, span way further than most think. The main and most obvious effect is the deterioration of the lungs. By inhaling nicotine, airways and small air sacs called alveoli are damaged, ultimately making it harder to breathe and damaging nearly every organ in the body. Due to the body’s attempt to moisturize the damaged lungs, the body loses a lot of water, therefore leading to other side effects such as constipation, damaged skin, and more.

“The earlier you start the more of your life span you take off, a pack of cigarettes a day takes about 7 years off of your life, and after a while, your teeth will start to fall out, your gums rot, and it can lead to cancer and other diseases,” Air Academy High School Certified Nursing Assistant, Vicki Garcia, stated.

Smoking also affects the sinus and vocal cords, causing congestion and a dry irritated throat, which makes breathing difficult and creates a chronic cough for the individual.

“When I smoked for the first time, it burned my throat, and it hurt really badly,” an anonymous student at AAHS noted.

The physical effects alone are reason enough to avoid smoking nicotine, however, it affects the brain in a much worse way. 

A common misconception is that nicotine helps with anxiety, depression, and other disabilities. However, various studies done by sources such as the CDC, The National Vital Statistics System, and general surgeons all over the United States, prove the complete opposite. Most studies show that using nicotine creates a temporary sense of relaxation, which soon fades and leads to withdrawal symptoms and increased cravings.

In regards to depression, nicotine releases dopamine, which is a chemical that is involved in making an individual feel good and motivated. This creates a crutch effect for the brain and as a result, the brain produces less dopamine, therefore making an individual more depressed. Another major way nicotine affects the brain is by deteriorating one’s mood. 

“When I was using nicotine, I noticed that whenever I didn’t have it, I would tend to be more angry and upset with the people around me, even my family,” an anonymous student at AAHS explained.

Using nicotine can not only affect the person using it, but it can also affect others around them. Once someone has developed a reliance on a substance and that substance is taken away, then ultimately they will be in a worse mood and end up ruining their own relationships. Nicotine does nothing but create problems for the brain. The mental effects of nicotine should not be taken for granted. 

Nicotine is not a joke since the effects that it can have on an individual leads to nothing good, especially for teens and adolescents. Creating unhealthy habits at a young age will make life harder in general. For the vast majority, smoking or using nicotine is not worth it and should be avoided at all costs.