Charleston, South Carolina – The Charleston County School District is employing new technology to fight vaping among high school students, with Wando High School reporting early success.
Every year, high schools throughout the country report that more students are vaping. Charleston County School District has a new strategy to combat the vaping pandemic. A new vape detecting device has been installed in the bathrooms at Wando High School, and the district plans to install it in all of their high schools.
“I don’t think the public realizes how much of an epidemic it is among our youth here, not only east of the Cooper, but throughout the United States,” said Wando High School Principal Chas Coker. “It is prevalent everywhere.”
The new devices work similarly to smoke detectors, detecting tobacco, THC, and vape aerosols. They can also assist with crowd management by informing the school of the number of pupils using the restroom and how long they are there. “If there is a crowd of eight or so, and someone is in there for an extremely long time, it helps us as well,” says Coker.
CCSD will install vape detectors in all high school restrooms across the district this school year. The technology was funded through a settlement with Juul, a business that makes vaping devices.
While parents and teachers feel it will not completely eliminate vaping, it will assist substantially.
“I think we all need to understand there’s a problem out there,” said Michelle Nichols, a parent and teacher at CCSD. “There are so many toxins in these vapes, and youngsters use them all day. They are exposed to substances whose long-term effects we do not yet understand. I believe it is critical that we address this issue as quickly and effectively as possible.
Educators say the vaping epidemic appears to have worsened in recent years. There is currently little known about the long-term effects of vaping, and some research indicate that it can be used as a gateway to other narcotics.
“If it saves one life, it’s completely worth it to me. “I fully support it because it is the only place without cameras where kids can vape,” Nichols remarked.
Wando High School focuses on vaping prevention and education. On November 11th, the school will hold a mental health and wellness fair where students will learn about substance addiction and its effects on the adolescent brain.
According to Principal Coker, the most effective thing parents can do is pay attention.
“Just be aware of the signs and everything else going on at home and that would help out tremendously here at Wando High School,” Coker told reporters. “We want partner with our parents and community to help remedy this epidemic.”
