What started as an alternative to smoking has now grown its popularity. Teenagers have indulge in vapes in a wide variety of places, including schools.
Rising rates of vaping in school have caused changes in policies to protect student health and learning. However, in recent years, SHS has seen a lower number of reported vapers.
“It has successfully gone down in the last three years,” Assistant Principal John Morse said.
According to the SHS student handbook, the use or possession of tobacco products, including vapes, on school grounds, is prohibited and is subject to disciplinary action.
“Every discipline situation is unique, so there’s no standard way that we do anything,” Morse said. “We look at the evidence for every situation, and that determines the consequence or kind of what our next course of action is.”
In recent years, to lower the number of student vapers, SHS administration has changed the consequences for students linked to vapes.
Consequences originally started out as only getting a fine. Last school year, the administration changed it so that people that are caught, have to take classes about vaping. Students who choose not to take these classes will be fined.
In schools, one of the most common places vaping occurs are bathrooms. Teachers with classrooms nearby have feelings against vaping. English teacher Brent Bockelman’s classroom is near a bathroom and he understands the struggle.
“We want to eliminate it as best we can,” Bockelman said. “It’s tough because it’s hard. It’s so easy for a student to just click it on or whatever, take a drag and move out. The whole process can be done in a matter of moments.”
According to law, possession of an e-cigarette can get a fine of up to $500, community service and mandatory educational programs.
It is not only the state or federal consequences vapers should be aware of, but the health impacts as well.
Addiction, lung damage and other cognitive effects are some impacts. Lesser known issues include deteriorating mental health, vascular health, lung function and nicotine poisoning.
“If you look at the story that happened at Perry a couple months ago where the student was vaping, they actually had a vape pen that was laced with fentanyl and the kid almost died so the problem too with vaping is depending on what you’re putting in your vape stick you never know what’s actually in it until after you use it,” physical education and health teacher Jacob Harrell said.
Even though the rate of SHS vapers is declining, it still poses a threat to the learning environment and students’ health.
“We still view it as a problem that is affecting our learning environment, even though the numbers have dropped,” Morse said.