CLAREMORE, Okla. — One in four middle and high school students is vaping every day, according to a new report from the Food and Drug Administration.
“It’s really pretty shocking,” said Shane Boothe, Superintendent of Justus Tiawah Schools.
The small Pre-K through 8th-grade district serves hundreds of students in Claremore and is serious about curbing vaping for middle school students.
“Usually, we can see if somebody is wanting to go to the bathroom a bunch or wanting to do things that are kind of out of normal,” said Boothe.
- Previous coverage >>> More middle schoolers are using tobacco while high school use falls
They’ve seen fewer offenders this year.
“This year has been a really good year,” said Boothe. “We haven’t had a whole lot of issues at all.”
This is in part because of the new sensors they installed in the bathrooms this summer.
“The best course of action was to put in sensors that basically, if it detects someone is vaping in the bathroom, it just sends an alert to the principal,” said Boothe.
The sensors also activate the hallway cameras so administrators know who’s responsible.
“This was kind of the way to be able to put some safety measures in,” said Boothe.
The 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows both good and bad news when it comes to vaping in schools across the country. Overall, high school students are using fewer tobacco products, from 16.5% to 12.6%. That’s in large part thanks to a 4% decline in vaping among high school students.
It’s a different story in middle schools across the U.S. The survey shows a 2% increase in tobacco use.
“You can’t classify or categorize who is going to do it and who is not,” said Boothe.
About 800,000 middle school students across the country are using tobacco products.
- Previous coverage >>> Claremore police cracking down on underage vaping
“It’s just kind of sad because it basically takes control of them,” said Boothe.
The state is also tackling the issue, becoming one of the first in the nation to launch a vapor product registry. It requires manufacturers to report the vapor products they sell or plan to sell here in Oklahoma.
For educators like Boothe, it’s all about making sure students can thrive.
“We have a deep desire to help kids and see the young people grow as they grow into adults and be able to go out and be a contributor to our society,” said Boothe.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
