'Vaping' in the boys room

By CHANSE WATSON

Managing Editor

OSBURN — Through the timeless words of ’80s rock band Motley Crue (and most likely several childhood educators), many of us have known that smoking (or even just using tobacco) isn’t allowed in school. That being said, there is always that one kid or group of kids that go against the grain and light-up a cigarette behind the school, in the baseball dugout, or wherever they could get away with it.

Twenty-plus years ago, it was easier for teachers and school staff to crack down on that behavior, as there were only so many places someone could go and smoke discreetly.

With the recent rise in the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vaporizers (vapes) among the nation’s youth though, school administrators everywhere are finding themselves fighting a new uphill battle when attempting to curb teen smoking.

Described by the U.S. Surgeon General as an “epidemic” on Dec. 18, the CDC states that high school vaping (or “JUULing”) has increased 78 percent compared to last year. A separate nationwide survey conducted by Monitoring the Future shows that 21 percent of high school seniors have vaped nicotine in the past 30 days (up 11 percent from last year).

Here in the Silver Valley, students at Kellogg High School, Wallace Jr./Sr. High School and Mullan Jr./Sr. High School have also jumped onto this growing trend.

The principals of all three schools told the News-Press in separate interviews that they have all seen vaping become more and more popular among their students.

“It’s gained momentum easily in the beginning of the 2018 school year compared to the last three years,” said KHS principle Curt Bayer.

Because of this, all three schools have also taken a zero-tolerance approach to the new fad and have similar procedures when catching someone.

At KHS, Bayer and School Resource Officer Adam Durflinger have implemented a “coaching or catching” approach.

The catching side involves a student having their vaporizer confiscated, given a minimum of three days of in-school suspension, having their parents notified and then issued a citation by the SRO if they are under 18 years old. The confiscated vaporizers are then taken by the SRO to the sheriff’s office and placed into evidence.

Starting in October of this year, Durflinger said that much of his first month was spent dealing with e-cigs and vaporizers.

“I wrote five or six citations in my first month,” he said.

As of Dec. 18, Durflinger has confiscated roughly 10 of the devices — either by catching someone smoking or finding them left unattended with no owner in sight.

Mullan principal Don Kotschevar outlined a similar policy at MHS; but instead of being turned over to law enforcement, the vaporizers are given to the parents. MHS has only had one instance of a student vaping this year, but Kotschevar isn’t naive.

“Our kids keep it out of school,” he said. “Do I suspect others? Absolutely. Do I have proof yet? No.”

WHS also keeps roughly the same rules on the books, as principle Chris Lund explained — minus the in-school suspension. Lund and the WHS staff have taken five vapes away so far this year.

Even students at the age of 18 are subject to punishment by the schools, as having tobacco and/or nicotine products is against their policies. These students are not subject though to any legal repercussions, as it is legal for them to use the product.

Part of the challenge with catching students vaping is also what arguably makes it so popular — ease of access and a pleasant aroma.

“It doesn’t have the pungent smell of tobacco,” Bayer said, “So you have to go off of that unusual, out-of-the-ordinary smell.”

Durflinger added, “It’s like Joe Camel. It’s friendly to the kids because it’s ‘not as bad.’ They make it kid-friendly by doing the flavors.”

Kotchevar has even heard stories at other schools where students get creative to hide their habit.

“Other principals have told me that the kids will sew a pocket in the shoulder of their shirt, they’ll (discreetly) vape, and exhale into their shirt during class.”

Since smelling the vapor is a hit-or-miss tactic, school staff and teachers must keep an eye out for the signature vapor cloud, the devices themselves, or just strange actions (i.e. a student breathing into their shirt). To do this though, they have to know what to look for.

The other challenge with catching students vaping is the issue of staff not being in the know.

“We are all playing catch-up on it,” Durflinger said. “Law enforcement is even catching up on it.”

Bayer explains that even though the JUUL brand vaporizer is the most popular, these devices can come in all shapes and sizes. From looking like “old generation iPods” and “guitar picks,” to something has simple as “USB flash drives,” many can be easily disregarded upon first glance as everyday items.

“At the beginning of the school year, we were getting used to what they look like,” Lund said of WHS. “We have seen e-cigarettes and vaping tools, but they have become smaller and many of them look like USB drives.”

To make sure everyone is on the same page, all three principals are educating their employees.

For example, every time a vape is taken at WHS, Lund makes sure his staff gets a look at it for future reference.

“Any e-cigarette or vape we confiscate, I usually send a photo of that to the staff in an email so they know what it looks like.”

Speaking of educating, the second part of KHS’s strategy to fight this rising trend (“coaching”) is to not only inform the staff, but also to inform students about the harm vaping can do to their bodies.

The full effects of vaping and vaping liquids (also known as juice or oil) on the human body are not entirely known, since the trend is fairly new and only limited research has been conducted.

The term “popcorn lung” has been widely associated with vaporizer use, but hard evidence linking vaping to the condition has yet to be released. A 2015 Harvard study found that a chemical called diacetyl (which is associated with popcorn lung) is present in e-cigarettes, but it did not prove a direct link between vaping and the condition.

WebMD states that popcorn lung is the nickname for bronchiolitis obliterans — a condition that damages the smallest airways of the lungs and makes a person cough and feel short of breath.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain that while “e-cigarette aerosol generally contains fewer harmful chemicals than smoke from burned tobacco products, like regular cigarettes,” it still is not harmless.

In addition diacetyl, the vaping liquids include volatile organic compounds, ultra fine particles, heavy metals (such as nickel, tin and lead), various carcinogens, and in most cases — nicotine.

What is known for certain through the numerous studies with normal cigarettes is the harm nicotine has on humans (especially those under the age of 25).

Most e-cigarettes contain the chemical and, according to Durflinger, the dosage amounts can be even higher than standard cigarettes.

“The JUUL brand cartridge’s nicotine content is equivalent to an entire pack of cigarettes,” he said.

This could be concerning depending on how fast a person uses up a cartridge.

Nicotine has been proven to be highly addictive and can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25. The CDC also warns that young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to go on to use regular cigarettes.

Durflinger took it a step further and warned that frequent use of a vaporizer could lead to the use of stronger drugs and chemicals because of the convenience factor.

“I would say that it could be used as a platform to other substances, such as THC oil,” he said. “I’ve heard of instances (not at KHS) where people are diluting methamphetamine into the oil and smoking it (as well).”

At the start of 2019, Bayer plans to have a process in place where teachers will be encouraged to inform students of all ages about the dangers of vaping and coach them away from doing it.

“If we catch someone, they are going to pay the consequences. But our goal after the first of the year is to come up with some instructional or educational things through our homeroom (classes).”

In Wallace, Lund has seen a decrease in vape use since they put an extra emphasis on the issue, but educating the students is still a top priority.

“In health class, they are constantly discussing it,” he said.

MHS has also included vaping education into its health class curriculum.

For a closer look at the latest findings on the effects of vaping, visit the CDC website and explore the “Electronic Cigarettes” tab.