By implementing a new course of action, Souderton is working to stop students from vaping in school bathrooms.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 25.2% of high schoolers across the United States use vapes daily.
In the same study, approximately one-half of students who have used vapes in the past reported using them currently.
Further, some students who don’t vape report hearing classmates openly talk about vaping.
“[People] would talk over me and be like ‘Hey, do you want to go to the bathroom and vape?’ and they had this whole conversation about vaping as I was sitting there between them,” freshman Violet Maine said. “It made me really uncomfortable.”
Souderton’s staff is working to solve the problem through new measures.
“For the last four weeks or so, at the end of the day I have made my way into both boys bathrooms and sat in the bathroom until buses have left,’’ wellness teacher Josh Wagner said. “That was the area where a lot of boys were congregating.”
There have been multiple emails sent out to staff and families to “get more boots on the ground,” according to Wagner.
Wagner said having students come in to talk about locations where they meet or “congregate” has greatly helped the staff’s efforts.
“Lunch periods seem to be times when kids are leaving the cafeteria and meeting in any one of the bathrooms,” Wagner said. “More specifically, the second and third floor bathrooms.”
Bathrooms are considered an area that some students avoid because of the ongoing problem.
“I often try to avoid bathrooms at all costs, because I know there are always kids vaping there,” junior Ben Wright said.
In the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, it was reported that more than two million middle and high school students used e-cigarettes.
As to why, students believe there are multiple causes.
“I think students are vaping because of peer pressure and also because some people think it’s cool,” freshman Kirra Wrigley said. “Some people are also stressed and they think that’s a good way to relieve their stress.”
According to Wagner, using nicotine builds bad habits and causes health issues.