USA: Grandmother raises alarm over vaping at middle school
BY: JT Fetch
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (WRGB) — A concerned grandmother is speaking out after she says her granddaughter, an eighth grader at Oneida Middle School, returned home with a vaping device she told her she purchased from “the drug dealer” at school.
The woman, identified only as Stacy, expressed her worries not only about the potential dangers of nicotine but also about a troubling trend of modifying vaping devices with substances like fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Stacy said she visited the school on Thursday morning seeking answers from administrators.
“I waited like 15 minutes, and right in there on speaker I called Channel 6 News, and all of a sudden the lady at the desk picked up the phone and all of a sudden somebody came out to talk to me,” Stacy said. “It’s an ongoing issue throughout all of Schenectady… Watch your children. Watch your grandkids, because you never know what’s going on… The school district needs to not just worry about putting the metal detectors in the high school. They need to be in all of our schools.”
Adding to her concerns, Stacy said other students recently attempted to pressure her granddaughter into drinking alcohol while at school.
Here are the answers a Schenectady City School District Spokesperson gave CBS6 in response to our questions:
What are the District’s rules regarding vaping devices and alcohol on school grounds?
The district’s Code of Character Conduct and Support speaks to consequences for vaping or possession of vaping materials
What measures are in place to prevent students from vaping in school?
The district has a policy regarding substance abuse. We have a substance abuse counselor on staff working with students providing psycho-education around vaping and substance use and providing counseling to students who may be using or experimenting with substances. We have been partnering with New Choices to provide education to students as well as counseling services to students who may need further treatment.
Has the District seen an uptick in vaping among students? Is this something the District is aware of?
There has been an increase in students who are experimenting with or using vapes. The district is continuing to provide ongoing education and support to students through school counselors, social workers and the substance abuse counselor.
Is there anything else the District would like to add on this?
The district continues to expand the educational services we are providing to students around vaping and substance use. Our substance abuse counselor is partnering with other student support services staff to have community circles around the topic of substance use, partnering with district staff to discuss health class curriculum and psycho-education around substance use.
Source: 06 NEWS