Electronic cigarettes are undeniably growing in popularity across the country. In fact, a report by the Food and Drug Administration shows that e-cigarette sales rose to over 3.5 million in 2012 from just 50,000 in 2008. Yet, despite these new cigarette varieties having been received in some cases as a possible means of harm reduction, some troubling new trends have begun to surface in the nation’s schools. A national survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that at least 1 in 10 students in high school had smoked an electronic cigarette.

Nurse Thompson pointed out the potential of ‘e-cigarettes’ to act as a gateway to traditional varieties.

“Many students who smoke electronic cigarettes will eventually move on to the traditional variety,” Thompson said. “Because your body will start to crave the nicotine.”

But somehow, Argyle High School appears to be an outlier. Any incident of a student smoking an electronic cigarette seems to be unheard of, or nearly so.

“I had a few last year,” Principal Jeff Butts said. “Very few… I think, two or three.”

The relative aversion to e-cigarettes that has been displayed by the community of Argyle is notable. When asked for an explanation, Principal Butts expressed his confidence in the students.

“I would like to think that our kids make good choices, and I would like to think that they’re smart enough not to buy into marketing practices.”

But in other schools, electronic cigarettes are quickly becoming popular, despite conflict with school policy or the law. Disturbingly, the percentage of students in high school who admitted to smoking e-cigarettes in 2012 was double that of the previous year. And although the new, battery-powered cigarette variety is considered to be likely less harmful than the traditional variety, the actual advantage is at this time grossly undetermined. The e-cigarettes generally yield less nicotine, leading some health organizations to draw a comparison to forms of nicotine replacement therapy, but many organizations, including World Health Organization and the National Association of Tobacco Outlets, opined that there is not yet sufficient data to make any conclusion as to the safety of e-cigarettes.

“I think they’re marketed as being harmless, as being a better alternative to a regular cigarette,” said Mr. Butts, “and I don’t know if I believe that.”

Indeed, the current marketing for e-cigarettes, such as the varying flavors and bright colors, has been received with some controversy by the public, some of whom have accused the cigarette companies of targeting minors.

“The cigarette companies are in the business to make money,” Mr. Butts reminded, “and they’re going to do things to make things sell. So, I can’t imagine them doing the colors just to make them pretty. I would think that it’s a way to attract the young people’s market. That’s what my intuition tells me.”

In the end, nicotine is dangerous, and it seems the most important thing to remember about electronic cigarettes is that they still contain nicotine, no matter how attractive they appear.