Vaping In High School | Statistics, Causes and Prevention

Vaping has been around for a few years now and the sight of people puffing vapor into the air has become commonplace. Sadly, vape pens have found their way into the hands of young people, particularly those of high school age.

With their appealing flavors and packaging, high school students can find vapes alluring. Once they try them, they may find themselves hooked thanks to the chemicals within them.

It’s more important than ever to tackle the problem of vaping in high school, and in this guide, we share our expertise and insights to help prevent and stop it for good.

First, let’s take a look at recent statistics to show you just how common vaping is in schools.

How Common Is Vaping In High School? A Look At The Statistics

According to the latest Annual National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) conducted by the FDA and CDC:

While overall vaping rates among young people are trending downwards, tens of thousands of high school students are still using these products. As we explored in our guide on vaping in middle school, the data suggests that some students are exposed to vaping there (around 2.5%), and when they reach high school, this figure increases significantly.

Why Is Vaping In High Schools Such An Issue?

As you can see, hundreds of thousands of high school children are vaping each year, and many of them may not appreciate the damage that they’re doing to themselves.

The main ingredient in vape pens is nicotine, or a synthetic equivalent. This is also the main chemical in tobacco—the very thing vapes were introduced to replace. Nicotine has been proven to have damaging effects on the human body. These effects are even worse for children of high school age whose bodies are still developing.

Here’s a breakdown of the main impacts nicotine can have:

Other chemicals found in vapes can cause irritation to the throat and lungs. Traces of metals, like lead, have also been found in vapor from vape pens, which can come from a broken heating coil.

With these effects heightened in young developing bodies, vaping can cause serious damage not just to physical health, but to mental wellbeing and schooling performance too. 

Where Do Students Vape In High Schools?

In our experience helping high schools tackle the problem of vaping on their premises, we have come to learn the main hot spots that students like to vape in. These are often quiet, secluded places, ideally beyond the supervision of teachers, or areas that aren’t often patrolled. 

Here are some of the places high school students like to vape. 

Vaping In High School Bathrooms

The most popular spot in high schools for vaping is the bathrooms. These are spaces where student privacy must be protected; teachers can’t simply wander in and out, and it’s not appropriate to install security cameras. They’re also communal spaces where students can gather. As a result, they’ve become hot spots for high school vaping. 

If you keep scrolling, we share our best advice on how to stop vaping in high school bathrooms.

Locker Rooms

Similar to bathrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms have also proven popular spaces for vaping in high schools. Again, they’re private areas that cannot easily be covered by adult supervision or security cameras, meaning students have an element of freedom to do things like vape.

Other Locations

We’ve so far discussed the two main hotspots, but vaping in high schools isn’t confined to them. Here are some other locations within high schools you could find vapers.

If you’re a high school teacher, you may already be aware of the difficulties in enforcing no-vaping policies in schools, given how vast their premises can be. But worry not, for help is at hand. Let’s take a look at our best pieces of advice to tackle vaping in high school.

4 Ways To Stop Vaping In High School

We’ve helped many schools and educational organizations tackle the problem of vaping on their premises. Here’s a list of our best pieces of advice based on our experience and expertise. 

1. Vape Detectors

One of the best, if not the best, methods of stopping vaping in high school is to install vape detectors. 

These devices look just like smoke alarms. Rather than trigger an alarm, they cleverly sent alerts to staff who can intercept and catch the culprits in the act. This makes a no-vaping policy enforceable and infinitely more effective. 

By targeting the hot spot areas described above, high schools can minimize the possible places students can vape, which can hopefully dissuade them from trying it altogether. 

If you’d like to learn more about the effectiveness of vape detectors in high schools, please keep scrolling to read our case study. 

2. Provide Greater Education To Staff and Students

At the start of this article, we covered some pretty shocking statistics, as well as health complications associated with vaping. Many young people aren’t aware of these risks. They see their friends vaping and having a good time. They may try it themselves and enjoy it the first time, too. But it can quickly turn into a habit and then an addiction with repercussions that ripple throughout their life. 

It’s vital that high schools and educators make these issues clear to students. That can be achieved through a dedicated education programme. It’s vital that information is relayed in relatable and accessible ways, with resources available for further reading and education. 

Beyond student education, schools can also train teachers and school staff on the warning signs and symptoms of student vaping, for example, persistent tiredness or irritability. That training could cover interventions and liaising with parents so that the problem can be more effectively tackled.

3. Increase Supervision Of Hot Spots

Another effective method of reducing incidents of vaping in high school is to increase supervision of problem areas. We listed quite a few spots above. It can be hard for school staff to cover all of those, especially at break times.

Schools could look to introduce a rota system to ensure there is always someone close to hot spots. If the budget allows, extra staff could also be recruited to help. 

By introducing a more consistent physical presence, students are less likely to find opportunities to vape, and if they do, there’s a greater chance of them being caught.

4. Implement Anti-Vaping Posters

While not regarded as the most widely effective method, implementing anti-vaping posters around the high school can be an important part of a no-vaping campaign. 

These posters could be hung in hot spot areas, with reminders of the risks of vaping and the damage it can cause. While many students may disregard them or even try to vandalize them, if it’s coupled with education, then it could be enough to cut through to some students. Posters also provide a visual reminder of no-vape rules.

Case Study: How Triton Sensors Stopped Vaping In High Schools

Not long ago, we were approached by Collinsville Public Schools in Oklahoma to help them tackle the problem of student vaping. 

As Assistant Principal Ben Davis explains in the video below, students were already addicted, and the school was facing what he described as an “epidemic”. Disciplinary methods were increased, but had no effect. Vaping incidents went unnoticed and unreported. 

After installing our 3D Sense vape detector in the likes of bathrooms, the schools saw a massive 90% drop in vaping incidents, and the results were instant. Interventions can be made in real-time, and as Ben explains in one case, the school caught a student smoking a THC vape and made a successful intervention, which led to him achieving better grades.

If you’d like to speak with us about our high school vape detectors or to order a free test unit, click here to get started.

Key Takeaways