NPHS Vape Lounge
You’re on your way to class and happen to pass by the boys’ bathroom. You see smoke billowing out and are about to thank administration for all of those years of annoying fire drills when a group of boys emerge, and you realize they’re just vaping. Vapor pens and products have recently become a major occurrence at North Platte High School. ”There’s been situations of kids vaping in the bathroom or bringing it to school,” said teacher Veronica Kulp. This has gone on so much that the building’s upstairs bathroom has been infamously dubbed the “NPHS Vapor Lounge.”
Some students don’t believe enough is being done about this problem. “Vape pens are being used way too much during school, and it makes our school look bad,” said sophomore Samuel Portner. Junior Austin Denisse claims teachers turn a blind eye or not notice the classroom vaping. “All the school staff doesn’t really care anymore,” said Denisse.
To that, principal James Ayers responded by pulling open a drawer full of confiscated vape pens and the juice used to fill them. School Resource Officer J. Johnson has also confiscated 10 himself this year. Not only is it against the law to possess one, Ayres said it’s a school offense with a three to five day school suspension. NPHS is a tobacco-free zone, so the police also issue a citation.
According to Nebraska law, any minor who smokes cigarettes, cigars, uses vapor products or alternative nicotine products, or uses tobacco in any form whatsoever is guilty of a class V misdemeanor. In other words, using a vapor pen carries the same penalty as using tobacco products, which is a $100 fine and court. “I was not aware there was an actual law against it,” said Portner. Other students don’t necessarily agree with it. “I think it should be illegal for anyone under 18, but only the ones with nicotine in them,” said sophomore Ashley Murphy.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has been confiscating a lot of vape pens from minors recently. They have recently gone around to local vape shops, reminding them that it is illegal to sell vape pens, with or without nicotine, to minors under 18. It is a class III misdemeanor, which is three months imprisonment and/or a $500 fine, for any person the age of 18 or above, to give vapor products to minors.
Johnson made it very clear to anyone aged 18, that not only selling, but simply giving or allowing someone to even take a puff off of your vape pen will be cited with a class III misdemeanor. On top of that, any minor who has been caught with a vape pen and can give legitimate proof of who provided them with it, will get off scot-free, while the other will be cited with a class III misdemeanor.
Jordan • Jan 6, 2016 at 11:59 AM
I think its great that the school is trying to stop kids from vaping in school. I don’t how many times iv’e seen kids doing it, sometimes even during class. Sometimes i feel as if I shouldn’t tell because its not my problem to be honest and I don’t want someone getting mad at me for being a “snitch”. Teachers also sometimes act as if they don’t know whats going on.The only thing that I don’t like is it seems like the article is targeting only at boys. I don’t know if the girls do it too or if its always just boys.
Jessi Wallace • Jan 6, 2016 at 11:47 AM
I think this article gets right to the point. Our school problem is males smoking there vape pens in the bathroom. I have not heard of any other schools having this problem. This problem should be eliminated. Students should not be bringing these to school and they need to think about the consequences.
Autumn Derman • Jan 6, 2016 at 11:46 AM
I think article helps us get down to point of the problem. Our school problem is kids vaping in the bathroom and most of them getting away with it.
cheyenne • Jan 6, 2016 at 11:45 AM
I think that the teachers should pay more attention to the boys bathroom while they walk by because many boys vape and get away with it. A
Sumar Mathews • Jan 6, 2016 at 11:44 AM
I think that it was good that they caught people doing this but, I still don’t think that the kids are going to stop. I also think that if the boys want to go to the bathroom then maybe teachers should be smarter and make them leave the backpacks in the classroom, or maybe watch the bathroom more often.
Bobby Fryer • Dec 4, 2015 at 12:59 PM
I loved this article because it tackles what most kids who get suspended do when they ask to go to the restroom and vaping is becoming a bigger problem at this school then ever. Most people who vape think its not like a regular smokes its not as dangerous but the school wants that mentality to stop.
lori • Dec 4, 2015 at 12:57 PM
I think teachers should pay more attention to the boys bathroom during school hours to prevent people from vaping.