How students are reportedly hiding, smoking vape pens in class
Students are going to extreme measures to smoke their vape pens in class -- and schools are trying their hardest to prevent it, according to a new report.
The Wall Street Journal reported that high school and middle school students are daring to use their vape pens -- such as Juuls -- and e-cigarettes in class. Because the vapor disappears quickly, they can sometimes get away with it if they inhale when their teachers aren’t looking.
However, as teachers are catching on to the trend, students have become creative in how and where they hide their vape pens, according to the Journal.
Methods include hiding the vapes inside highlighter pens, pencil cases, boots, waistbands, long sleeve shirts, bras and headbands, the outlet reported.
Some students were reportedly caught smoking their vape pens behind binders propped upright on their desks. And one teacher told the Journal that a student was suspected to have hidden his vape pen in his underwear.
“We did so much education in schools about the danger of smoking cigarettes and then cigarette smoking declined, but now kids feel like vaping is a safer alternative,” Pam Blackwell, a substitute teacher in Indiana, told the Journal.
Teachers, administrators and even entire school districts are using their own creative methods to combat the rampant trend.
Vape pens have been confiscated, vape detectors have been installed in bathrooms and in New Hampshire, the governor even signed a law prohibiting vaping devices from school grounds.
At some school districts in Texas, students are even required to roll up their sleeves to their elbows before they come into the building because of how frequently students were hiding the pens in the sleeves, The Journal reported.
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Since the emergence of e-cigarettes in 2003, little longitudinal research has been done about the long-term effects of the popular products. They became increasingly popular with claims that they were a healthier alternative for traditional cigarette smokers.
However, health experts warn of the growing epidemic of underage vaping, which they say can be harmful to teens' brain development.
In the past several months, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an investigation into the possibility of vaping linking to seizures, after more than 130 incidents were reported.
Just last week, however, the Vapor Technology Association, which represents Juul and 800 other vaping companies, sued the FDA to delay May’s deadline to submit e-cigarettes for approval, as the agency struggles to regulate the multibillion-dollar e-cigarette industry.
FOX Business’ Rachel Tesler contributed to this report.