By Mindy Ragan Wood
News Editor
Okarche Public Schools plans to crackdown on vaping after an Okarche student was hospitalized due to complications from the popular smoking alternative two weeks ago.
Superintendent Rob Friesen hopes other students who use e-cigarettes or smokeless tobacco realize the danger they’re in after one of their own experienced health complications.
“I think it’s a wakeup call for our students,” he told board members Monday night. “I hope it is.
The district previously banned smokeless tobacco, known as vaping, but students use the products in a way that can be difficult for teachers and staff to detect.
Friesen said students can disguise them as easily as a string on a hoodie or simply putting their head on their desk to hide the inhalation of the vapor. The most popular vaping devices look similar to a flash drive, a common school supply for high school students who use laptops. Other smokeless tobacco devices look like an ink pen.
High School principal Lisa Munson told board members staff are working to educate students and parents about the risks of vaping. Munson said teachers will be trained to spot the different methods students use to hide the device in class.
Friesen believes it is nearly impossible to prevent students from using it, but it hasn’t stopped him from trying. He hopes devices that detect vape could make a difference.
“It’s a smoke alarm, or an alarm that detects vape,” Friesen explained. “I found one or two (detectors) that pick up vape. It ties in our computer network. We could put a couple in each bathroom, locker room.”
When the device detects vapor, it sends a text message to school administrators who can investigate the source of the vapor.
One device would need to be installed for every three bathroom stalls, but it could be expensive. Two companies who offer the devices sell them for $3,000 per unit.
“To me it’s worth a shot,” Friesen said. “If we save one or two kids’ lives, it’s (cost) worth it from my perspective.”
The discussion item was part of Friesen’s monthly report and did not include possible action. Friesen promised to have more information on the detectors at the next meeting.
NATIONAL & STATE FINDINGS
National Public Radio published a report that found teenagers prefer the brand Juul, which is small enough to hide in a fist. The fragrance produced by the flavoring can dissipate quickly, unlike the smell of cigarettes which linger in a visible haze over a room.
The Oklahoma State Department of Health reported its first case of smokeless tobacco injury Sept. 26 after a Tulsa County teenager was hospitalized.
The OSDH asked health care providers in early September to report serious cases of pulmonary disease of unknown origin that included a recent history of e-cigarette use.
“We are committed to working with our state and federal partners to learn everything we can about this investigation in order to prevent further injury and potential death,” said Commissioner of Health Gary Cox in a prepared statement. “E-cigarettes are unregulated, and of great concern is the significant number of young people using the products. The public is advised to consider refraining from using all e-cigarette and vaping products while the investigation is ongoing.”
Preliminary data from the 2019 Oklahoma Youth Risk Behavior Survey shows a 70 percent increase from 2017 to 2019 in the current electronic vapor products (EVPs) use by Oklahoma high school students, the Oklahoma State Department of Health reported.
In particular, the 2019 preliminary data shows that more than a quarter of high school students in Oklahoma currently use EVPs.
The method of using nicotine has been touted by manufacturers and some studies as a healthier alternative to paper cigarettes.
A long list of symptoms people report to experience may call these studies into question. Patients involved in the nationwide investigation have reported symptoms such as prolonged cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, fever and abdominal pain, the OSDH reported.
Individuals who have a history of e-cigarette use or vaping in the last 90 days and are experiencing any of these symptoms should contact a health care provider as soon as possible.
