I was sitting in class and kept smelling something foul — like bad breath, but mango. The student next to me was vaping. 

Vaping should be students’ own business — though currently, it’s not. Vaping in class is inappropriate, inconsiderate, and shows a lack of self-control.

When Fox News returned from commercial break in 2021 and caught Sean Hannity mid-vape, he quickly put it down because he knew it was inappropriate for television. At least in journalism, smoking, vaping, and drinking are commonplace. And while the same happens on a college campus, it normally takes place outside the classroom. 

Hannity could wait until a commercial break to vape, so students should wait until breaks between classes.

Vaping in class is inconsiderate. It traps others in a room with a fruity chemical cloud for however long the class runs. And while vaping outdoors may be annoying to some, at least fresh air allows others to avoid it. Don’t vape in a situation where it affects everyone.

No matter how subtle students think they are, vaping is always clear to others — and only sometimes because of the smell. I’ve seen students put their shirts over their noses, while putting another hand, holding the vape, up the front of their shirts. At that point, just vape openly. It would be less awkward.

No one is perfect and everyone has weaknesses, whether realized or not. But a place to begin building self control is to stop vaping in class.

Most classes run for an hour and 15 minutes at most. Vaping can wait.