Schools battle against vaping

Area superintendents discuss efforts being made to discipline violators and prevent students from picking up habit

Statistics are showing vaping is growing in popularity among children in America, and that has health and education officials concerned.

For example, 3.62 million middleand high-school students in the United States were estimated as e-cigarette users in 2018, according to a study cited by the Food and Drug Administration.

Then there’s a separate 2018 national survey conducted by University of Michigan researchers, showing that reported vaping of nicotine almost doubled among high school seniors from 11 percent in 2017 to 20.9 percent in 2018. In addition, more than

1 in 10 eighth-graders (10.9 percent) say they vaped nicotine in 2018, according to the survey.

Statistics like these culminated in U.S Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams on Dec. 18 stating: “I am officially declaring e-cigarette use among youth an epidemic in the United States.”

He made that statement in conjunction with an advisory he released about the growing trend and related dangers of vaping — the practice of inhaling and exhaling vapor produced by an electronic cigarette — among teens in the United States.

Adams’ declaration caught the attention of Willoughby-Eastlake Schools Superintendent Steve Thompson.

“In light of the recent report published by the surgeon general, it is my conclusion that vaping is a big problem for all students in this country and should be taken very seriously,” Thompson said.

For he and other area school superintendents, preventing vaping in schools and educating students about the dangers of e-cigarettes are important goals.

“In light of the recent report published by the surgeon general, it is my conclusion that vaping is a big problem for all students in this country and should be taken very seriously.”

Health risks, warnings

Although e-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer toxic chemicals than smoke from regular cigarettes, health agencies and officials still warn that vaping is not a healthy practice for children.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the addictive drug found in regular cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated. In addition, the CDC reported that some e-cigarettes marketed as containing zero percent nicotine have been found to contain nicotine.

Using nicotine in adolescence can harm parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, the CDC stated. A person’s brain keeps developing until they’re about 25 years old.

Vaping is a risky behavior, especially for youth, said Kim Fraser, executive director of the Lake County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board.

“Vape pens/Juuls deliver very high levels of nicotine; they’re extremely addictive,” she said. “Plus, vaping liquids contain other toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, respiratory disease, and heart disease.”

In addition, Doug Rohde, supervisor of chemistry and toxicology for the Lake County Crime Laboratory, told Fraser one of the trends the Crime Lab is seeing involves counterfeit vape pen cartridges that contain dangerous substances.

“Doug told me that area law enforcement has confiscated cartridges containing substances like hallucinogens,” Fraser said. “That’s of concern because it means that vapers — especially kids who may share vape pens — might not know what they’re ingesting. And studies show that most kids who vape believe that it does no harm, so they’re likely to just blindly trust that what they’re using won’t cause any issues.”

Vaping violations

While the U.S. surgeon general described vaping by teens nationwide as an epidemic, none of the area school superintendents surveyed used that word or similar terms in assessing e-cigarette use by students in their districts.

“(Confirmed vaping incidents involving students) have been steady over the past couple of years, with a handful of cases each year,” said Painesville Schools Superintendent Josh Englehart.

Thompson said “recorded incidents involving vaping” in Willoughby-Eastlake Schools have increased, while similar incidents in Kirtland Schools have declined, said that district’s superintendent, Bill Wade.

“Like many other school districts, Kirtland Local Schools learned last school year that many students were experimenting with vaping,” Wade said. “This school year, the interest in vaping has waned, and the number of students indicating they are vaping has gone down. The district has evidence of a small percentage of students who are vaping.”

But the superintendents also concede that it is a difficult activity to detect. This can be attributed, in part, to the design of e-cigarettes — the popular Juul model, for example, is the size of a computer flash drive — and the consistency of the vapor.

“The devices are very easily concealed, and the vapor dissipates very quickly,” Englehart said. “While our kids are constantly supervised, the possibility exists for quick use with the evidence being hidden rapidly.”

All of the superintendents surveyed said that restrooms tend to be the most common vaping location for students inside school buildings.

Enforcement efforts

When a student is caught vaping or possessing an ecigarette on school property, districts apply a variety of disciplinary measures.

Perry School District late last month issued an announcement stating that any student found “possessing, using, purchasing or receiving an e-cigarette/ vape/or like product” could receive a citation from the Perry Village Police Department that carries a possible fine.

A child who violates the law could receive a fine of up to $100 and court costs also could be assessed.

The announcement, which was released through Facebook, the district’s website and emails to parents, doesn’t involve a new policy, Perry Schools Superintendent Jack Thompson said. Instead, the district wanted to issue a reminder that if a student is caught vaping or possessing an e-cigarette, “it could be expensive.”

“This is fair warning,” he said.

If a student at either Perry Middle or High School is caught vaping or possessing an e-cigarette, they will first meet with the school’s assistant principal and then the school resource officer, who would have authority to issue a citation.

The student also could face school punishment such as detention, Saturday school or out-of-school suspension.

The disciplinary procedures for students vaping in Willoughby-Eastlake Schools are handled by building administrators, Steve Thompson said.

“If students are caught vaping or with materials such as a vape pen or Juul, the consequences are the same as if they had been caught with any tobacco product, such as a cigarette,” he said. “Willoughby Eastlake students can be suspended for smoking or possessing tobacco products while on school property, on a school bus or while attending a school function. The district does utilize in-school suspensions and Saturday suspensions.”

Painesville Schools, meanwhile, issue out-ofschool suspensions to students who are caught vaping or possessing e-cigarettes.

“I think that our disciplinary follow-through has served as a deterrent,” Englehart said. “We have issued suspensions in each case. While I like for us to avoid excessive exclusionary discipline as much as we can, I do think that this has been effective in establishing a clear and meaningful consequence for the behavior.”

Preventive measures

Area school districts also are hoping to decrease the ranks of teenage e-cigarette users by convincing students to avoid vaping altogether.

“(Willoughby-Eastlake) physical education teachers, coaches and health instructors are all taking measures to educate students about the hazards of vaping,” Thompson said. “In addition to these efforts, we have placed informational fliers in some of the restrooms. These fliers are being created by students, for students.”

In Kirtland Schools, class meetings were held at the beginning of the academic year for students in grades six through 12 to explain the health concerns with vaping, Wade said.

“Kirtland 6-12 Principal Scott Amstutz also is working with student building leaders on building culture regarding vaping, and continuing to educate these student building leaders on how to make better health and wellness decisions,” the superintendent said.

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