Schools continue fight against vaping crisis

WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (KAIT) - Schools across the Natural State continue to combat the vaping epidemic in their hallways.

When school began in August, Lawrence County School District had advanced its e-cigarette detection technology.

Not only did the district install more vape detectors before the year began, but the district also has a device that will detect the presence of an e-cigarette on a student.

The district said it hasn’t disciplined as many students this year for vaping.

“Right now, I say there might be a little less, but now we’re seeing them younger. Down in the middle school. When it first started getting popular several years ago, it was high school almost exclusively. Now we’re seeing them in younger ages at 7th and 8th grade and even below at some point,” Walnut Ridge High School Principal Jacob Kersey explained.

Kersey believes the lower numbers are due to the work the school has done to combat it.

“They know that we’re fighting, and there is deterrence. We hope that is deterring them from even considering vaping in school,” Kersey added.

Parents are encouraged to speak with their students about the dangers of vaping.

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