In the town of Cloquet, Minnesota (USA), faced with a significant increase in the popularity of vaping among young people, the school board decided to invest more than $20 in new technology intended to detect cigarette use electronics within educational establishments. This measure follows alarming observations reported by Steve Battaglia, the principal of Cloquet high school, who notes an explosion in vaping among students since their return to school after the pandemic. Students caught in the act may be subject to suspension and confiscation of their vaping device.
Vaping “creates an uncomfortable atmosphere for students who simply want to use the restroom, to the point that some prefer to leave campus to do so.”
In response, offices have been installed near toilets to monitor vaping use, but a more technological solution will soon be put in place with the installation of vape detectors in the toilets of secondary schools, colleges and alternative schools in Cloquet.
These devices will alert administrators when vaping activity is detected, allowing for more targeted intervention.
Pat McKone of the American Lung Association points out that teen vaping is currently a health crisis, exacerbated by the availability of flavored products appealing to youth, such as watermelon, bubblegum and gummy bears. She advocates for legislation to ban these flavored products. According to a survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Education, about 20 percent of Cloquet students admitted to using tobacco products, a rate higher than the state average.
This initiative reflects the challenges America's schools face in managing the rise of vaping and efforts to protect the health and well-being of all students (vapers and non-vapers).
That said, at the editorial staff of vapoteurs.net, we immediately wondered why such measures were not implemented in Cloquet, against cigarettes...
Photo credit: Harvey Waroona Reporter
