Vaping on the rise in Knox County schools

DANVILLE — Vaping has become a prevalent and omnipresent dilemma in public schools across the nation.

Smoking cigarettes is so ’90s. Now, it’s habitual for high-school students, sometimes even middle-school students, to inhale nicotine from an electronic vapor device.

For Danville school resource officer Rich Miller, there needed to be baseline knowledge: How many students in Danville were vaping?

In November 2024, the administration installed vape sensor monitors in the high school without telling students.

The Verkada sensors monitor the vape index, temperature, humidity, C02 levels and can alert when the air becomes a health risk.

From Nov. 3 to 10, the vape index sensor documented 32 incidents, Miller said. On Nov. 10, grades 7 to 12 met with Miller to discuss the vape sensors, how they work, where they’re located and the harmful effects of vaping.

“We don’t want it to happen during the school day,” Miller said. “It disrupts the health hazard to the person vaping and others.”

Since the talk, Miller said the high school only had seven recorded vaping incidents.

“If they get caught, it’s about education, not punishment,” Miller said.

Miller attributes the decrease in vaping in school bathrooms to the students’ knowledge of the sensors and the educational pieces taught throughout the school year.

Vaping a problem in other Knox Co. schools

One district, Mount Vernon City Schools, is grappling with students vaping in the middle and high-school buildings.

The six elementary schools remain vape-free. 

There were 28 vaping offenses committed in the high school with multiple offenders, eight involving THC, according to February data.

In the middle school, 32 incidents were confirmed, with one involving THC. 

Mount Vernon City Schools superintendent Bill Seder said this is a big concern for the district, noting the health issues caused by vaping. 

Measures to combat vaping in the public school system come in a mix of disciplinary actions and preventive steps, such as the vape sensors in bathrooms.

According to data collected in February, Fredericktown Local Schools has documented 11 vaping incidents at the district this school year — eight at the high school and three at the middle school.

Fredericktown High School principal Ryan Shoemaker said the district did not have vaping incident reports before the detector’s installation.

“We do believe the sensors have deterred students from vaping in our restrooms due to the low number of vape detectors alerts the administration receives,” Shoemaker said.

“Our students have indicated that vaping is still an issue within our schools that continually needs to be addressed to ensure a safe and positive learning environment for all our kids.”

Vaping sensors lower number of incidents

The middle and high schools implemented an electronic hall pass system in January.

That factor may help reduce the number of vaping incidents by limiting the number of students in the restrooms and hallways during class periods. It may also prevent potential student meet-ups in these locations.

Students caught vaping generally receive an on-day, out-of-school suspension and are required to complete an online vape cessation course, Shoemaker said.

“Just like most districts across the county, we do believe vaping has increased in our district over the last several years,” Shoemaker said.

“This is due in part to the fact e-cigarettes or vapes are relatively new, easily accessible and marketed toward a younger demographic.”

Centerburg Local Schools has documented four vaping incidents at the district this school year.

“Vaping is definitely an issue around Ohio and Centerburg is no exception,” high school principal Brent Garee said.

Garee said he’s noticed vaping progressively worsen in the last seven to eight years.

“The school’s responsibility is always for the safety of students while they’re here,” Garee said. “We do have a responsibility to help students better themselves and get rid of the addiction.”

Data wasn’t available from East Knox Local Schools at the time of publication.