Vaping

When I was in Year 10 vaping was a very common thing, and it was growing in popularity through different flavors, colours and advertisements I saw. At first, I was very against vaping, and I didn’t get the hype, I didn’t understand the thrill or why someone would risk their health for flavored air. Then I made a friend who was curious to try it so together we bought a vape and tried it. The first time I tried it I still didn’t really get the hype. But other people said they loved it, and I was curious why I didn’t get it at first, so I kept trying. Eventually I started to enjoy it and began to understand why people did it. Over time I noticed my vaping increasing. I barely ever vaped - I had one but would never use it on my own and I wouldn’t think about it if I left it at home. Then I found myself constantly having it in my hand and even sleeping with it in my pillowcase and using it in the middle of the night. I was spending 25 dollars every 1-2 weeks, and I would freak out if I couldn’t get one. If that wasn’t bad enough, I hid it from my family, would do it up my sleeve in the car or behind their backs on walks and I felt constant guilt for that. I was also starting to notice my health declining where I felt like I couldn’t take deep breaths anymore because my lungs were ‘foggy’. This scared me so much. When I got colds too, I could barely breathe even the cold wasn’t severe. This went on for about a year and a half until I went away and my vape broke and I didn’t have access to get another one. I spent the next two days going to all the dairy's, asking people to buy them for me and with no luck I was forced to not vape for 2 days. Once I arrived back home, I thought about how hooked I was and opened up about it to one of my good friends who I trusted, who gave me support to quit. I realised it was having such a negative impact on me, and I never thought when I started that I would get addicted like this. With my friends support I was able to quit, but I wish I’d never started in the first place.