Have you ever witnessed someone vaping in the school bathroom? Some students claim to have witnessed peers doing so, and while that’s not the case for everyone, it has become a rather common occurrence for some. Preventative measures have been put into place, such as vape detectors and frequent safety monitors. Have these measures helped decrease the amount of vaping in our school? It’s hard to tell, and they very well could have helped, but there are still students claiming to have witnessed vaping while using the restroom.

In a survey of 19 MHS students, six students claimed they had witnessed smoking/vaping in a school restroom. Though devices like vape detectors have been put into place in these restrooms, this hasn’t completely stopped students.

Vape detectors were implemented in MHS a couple of years ago as a way to make sure students weren’t using their bathroom passes as a smoke pass. These detectors set off an alarm to alert the safety team that smoke has been detected in a bathroom, allowing officers to locate the bathroom and serve the student with the correct punishment.

Over the years, students have found ways to get past these detectors and continue to use the bathrooms as a smoke break instead of using the restroom for its intended purpose.

An MHS student stated, “I walked into a bathroom and it was filled with smoke and packed with a bunch of people.”

Some students have learned to bypass the vape detectors. Knowing this, the safety team often checks bathrooms to make sure there isn’t anyone breaking rules. Because the safety team can’t constantly monitor the bathrooms, some students go without notice of their activities.

“Almost every time I go to the bathroom, I see girls huddled together down by the floor, vaping, so they avoid the detectors,” An MHS student claimed.

Vaping is the most common use of tobacco in Iowa and most areas in the U.S. Specific data is extremely limited, as high school students won’t often admit to their use of e-cigarettes. Although in a 2021-2023 Iowa youth survey, it was reported that almost 17% of Iowa teens have claimed to have used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days (Tobacco use in Iowa).

Another student stated, “Even though it doesn’t happen often, I hate when I walk into the restroom and people are vaping. Like, can’t you just wait to do that, or not do it at all? It’s so annoying to me. Can I not just go to the bathroom in peace without smelling smoke?”

The MHS safety team continues to help decrease the amount of vaping. In the end, it’s completely up to the students. Vaping is not beneficial to anyone. The effects it has on your body are permanent and can completely damage your future.

If you feel it is necessary to harm your body from the use of e-cigarettes, consider doing it outside of school or not at all. People go to the bathroom to actually use the bathroom, not to smell your vape flavor.