Since the vape detectors were installed, dozens of students have been caught vaping in the school restrooms.
“On the first day. the alarms went off 30-plus times,” Assistant Principal Randy Jones said. “We have actually caught about 20 kids, and the alarms go off three to four times a week.”
Even with the detectors in the restrooms, vaping continues.
“The vape detectors do not stop me because there are many tricks you can learn to do,” one junior vaper said. “You can learn to inhale all of the smoke to not let any out.”
The point of the vape detectors is to help students and to remind them to make better choices.
“The ultimate benefit is cutting down on kids using them in school,” math teacher Amanda Kirkpatrick said.
Texas House Bill 114 made it a criminal offense to possess e-cigarettes on school property, but the new vape detectors were not installed because of the new law because the idea was already in the works.
“We have been discussing for years, with other schools as well, to see if it helped,” Jones said. “We knew it had to stop. It’s our responsibility to keep kids healthy and out of trouble.”
Students caught using or in possession of e-cigarettes on school property now automatically go to CAPS, but the impact of e-cigarettes goes farther than discipline. E-cigarettes can be very addictive and contain thousands of harmful chemicals.
“I have tried to stop at one point for my health’s sake,” one junior vaper said, “but hitting a vape many times in one day can catch up to you and make you want to crave a hit.”
