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.