By Samuel Smith, Opinions Editor
“I was pulled out of class and I instantly knew why. I had heard rumors there were detectors, but I didn’t really believe it.”
Vaping, the world’s most popular nicotine-fueled hobby among teens and young adults, has been consistently on the rise since its introduction in 2003. The practice has invaded homes, workplaces and even schools, despite laws limiting the purchase of vaping products to those 21 and older.
Most recently, however, Dare County Schools has attempted to curb vaping on its campuses.
“The county was provided a grant to install vape detectors,” Assistant Principal Lela Ingram said. “Since we are the largest school, we were chosen to pilot the detectors.”
The vape detectors work roughly the same way as a smoke detector, but instead of sounding an alarm, the detectors alert the office. Administrators hope the warnings will help develop further solutions for dealing with the addictive practice.
“We can hope that the detectors are helping to curb the use of vapes,” Ingram said. “Now that we are back in the building, we plan to continue to educate everyone on the dangers of substance abuse.”
One student caught vaping who wishes to remain anonymous feels the school’s approach to vaping is lacking in one prominent regard.
“The one issue I had was, after I had gotten caught, no resources were provided to help (me) quit,” they said. “Addiction is a disease and any kid will tell you how much they wish they could quit. The only thing (administration) did was take my alto, but that’s not going to stop anyone.”
Ever since First Flight began using bathroom detectors, the number of students caught vaping has increased greatly, according to administration. Students caught vaping receive a brief out of school suspension (OSS).
According to the CDC, “one out of five high school students, and one out of 20 middle school students, use e-cigarettes (a category of nicotine usage that encompasses vaping).”
Vaping is highly addictive, and, in the eyes of students who have never vaped as well as those who suffer from the addiction, requires a greater response than simply being suspended. Bathroom vape detectors are a single step in the right direction, but further actions and solutions are needed to end vaping in schools.
“I think vaping is a huge problem, not just at our school but everywhere,” the anonymous source said. “I understand why there are detectors and it does suck, but I recognize why and can’t blame (administration).”
If you or a loved one has taken up vaping as a hobby and you would like to learn more about the risks, visit the Smoker’s Helpline.
Junior Samuel Smith can be reached at 23smithsa22@daretolearn.org.
