Vaping is the new cigarette. The new obsession. The new addiction.
The new vaping epidemic that has emerged in the last few years is now widespread in the United States, where it seems more and more teenagers can now be found with vapes tucked in their hand.
Throughout the country, about 20% of teens vape on a daily basis, whether this be at home, at a friend’s house, at parties. Vaping has become so second nature to many teens that their vaping devices need to be with them at all times, including sporting events, club meetings and, most notably, at school.
Vaping has massively increased over the last year, where the use of vaping devices by high school students has jumped 78%, says the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This vaping outbreak is happening in many high schools across the United States, including Saline High School. It’s estimated that around 25% of students in Saline have tried vaping. If one were to walk up to a random student at the high school, there’s a high probability that they know someone who has tried vaping, knows someone who is a daily user, or vapes themselves. It’s normal at Saline, and students don’t think much when they see another student pull out a JUUL.
Students and parents are aware of this new vaping outbreak that has rapidly increased over the last few years and wonder what the school administration is doing to combat the problem. Many at the high school think the adminministration isn’t aware of how widespread the vaping problem is at Saline and there hasn’t been enough action from the school to truly end the problem.
As soon as vaping gained popularity at the high school, administration noticed the new emerging trend. Kirk Evenson, assistant principal and head of discipline for juniors and seniors, recalls when vaping started to gain popularity among students: “Last year was really the first year where it was, ‘Boom, it’s here, and it’s here to stay.’”
Evenson suspects about 25% of the school has at least tried vaping, but he believes fewer than 10% of students inside the school are avid users. “I could be naive, but I’d like to believe that we have amazing students and they wouldn’t wreck their lives that way,” Evenson says.
Administration doesn’t have trouble finding students who choose to vape in the school, catching about one student per week. Last year there were 26 vaping incidents that were identified and discipline issued. This year there have been 15 incidents and counting.
Students are discovered vaping in parking lots, hallways, and bathrooms. Students are often caught vaping by administration all due to the Hornet Hotline, a safe, secure, and direct line to support wellness, safety, and emotional support. Many students call this line when they see or smell another student vaping.
“We get a lot of tips from good students who just say ‘I’m fed up with this,’ and they’ll call us and send us a message,” Evenson says. “It triggers a text message to all of us on our safety team here at the building, and some folks that aren’t in the building, and we can walk in and find somebody -- it’s instant.”
Once a student is found vaping, punishments are immediately put into action. There are different consequences for different circumstances, but the most common situation administrators see is a first time use or possession of a vape.
Parents are brought in to meet with Mr. Mark Schuby, a drug counselor at the high school, and have an assessment done. After the assessment, the student can expect an ICS, or in class suspension, for two months, which is a suspension from all extracurricular activities. On top of the ICS suspension, students are suspended from school ranging from three to five days.
Depending on how a student behaves during the disciplinary process determines what consequences they receive.
“Some kids who get caught just instantly spill the beans, they just tell us everything. We don’t have to try really hard. We get the whole problem solved in less than five minutes,” Evenson says. Students who are easy to work with and complete their assessment with Mr. Shuby successfully get their ICS suspension reduced to a month and get a shorter suspension from school.
Difficult students to deal with, however, keep the two month ICS and are suspended from the school longer.
Administration is always on the lookout for students who choose to break school guidelines. “We are always out in the parking lots, random walks, sweeps, and we’ve been known to have drug dogs in before and just do random searches in lockers and backpacks,” Evenson says. “We try really hard to stay vigilant and stay ahead of the next big thing, and we take pride in that.”
In addition to combating the vaping problem within the school, administration is working to educate students, teachers, and parents about the risks of vaping.
These efforts include posting articles about vaping on the district newsletter, holding training nights where there are guest speakers, getting educated from law enforcement and health professionals, and going to educational seminars that will better educate staff.
When it comes to the school being equipped for the vaping outbreak, Evenson says, “We’re always trying to do everything we can.”