Cracking down on kids vaping

Students vaping in school bathrooms in the Lakeland Joint School District may soon have a harder time doing it without being caught.

School district trustees considered a plan Wednesday to install vaping detectors with silent alarms in school bathrooms.

The alarms were requested by administrators hoping to rein in student use of vaping devices on school campuses.

“I just know our administrators are spending a lot of time dealing with vaping and they’re looking for things that would be a deterrent,” Superintendent Lisa Arnold said, during Wednesday's school board meeting.

Arnold described a teenage girl taking a drag from a vape pen in front of administrators, then putting it down her bra when they tried to confiscate it.

“It’s time,” Arnold said.

Trustees directed staff to find possible grant options to pay for vaping alarm software subscriptions prior to moving forward. At an upcoming board meeting, a school resource officer will share with trustees firsthand details of the vaping problem.

Installing an air quality alarm would detect vaping in the bathrooms in real time and allow administrators to quickly take action. The alarm triggers when the air quality monitor detects chemicals in the air from vaping devices. Alerts would go to a desktop in the administrative offices. The alarms have no cameras or spyware, but cameras are currently installed in the halls outside bathrooms on school campuses.

Other area school districts have similar alarm systems and have been happy with the effectiveness, Arnold said.

A three-month free pilot program for two alarms is possible, but the alarms otherwise cost about $1,000 each. The total cost of the project hasn’t yet been fully outlined.

“I would much rather have a plan to move forward rather than pilot it and not be able to afford it later,” Board Chair Michelle Thompson said.

In 2022, Mountain View Alternative High School reported 40 of its 100 students were caught using vaping devices, Arnold said.

“Vaping is becoming a real problem,” Arnold said.

Since January 2021, the Rathdrum Police Department has issued 81 citations to minors for vaping, Arnold said.

“We’re talking about nicotine, so we’re talking about kids who are addicted to nicotine,” Arnold said. “You cite them because they’re vaping, but we don’t give them treatment or ways to kick the habit.”

If a child is caught vaping, a safety officer issues a citation, which results in a fine and goes on a student’s arrest record, said Lt. Zachary Sifford, public information officer for the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

A second infraction can be a misdemeanor.

If the student doesn't infringe again before turning 18, the vaping violation is expunged from his or her record, but is still visible to law enforcement.

“It's not just nicotine they’re vaping,” Arnold said.

Parents and students would be notified before alarms are installed, if the board decides to move forward. When staff is able to create more detailed cost reports they will be presented in a future board meeting.