The Port Arthur Independent School District may soon introduce new technology – Vape Detectors that will make it more difficult for students to vape in school.
District officials believe vaping can negatively affect students’ health. Some vapes contain nicotine and a slew of other harmful chemicals.
District representatives agreed that something needed to be done during a meeting held by Port Arthur ISD on Tuesday night. They decided unanimously to put vape detectors in every restroom because that’s where students usually vape.
The trustee for Port Arthur ISD, Joseph Guillory, stated, “I’m definitely supporting it.” “I believe more needs to be done.”
Guillory works with students at the Port Arthur Alternative Campus. He claimed that they engaged in fighting and vaping, among other things.
Guillory stated, “We need to make sure that our kids know that we’re not being mean.” We are acting in your best interests and out of love. Your well-being is crucial. “We need you to mature and become responsible adults.”
The vape detectors will operate similarly to smoke detectors. Vaping is a key focus for the district, according to Port Arthur ISD Superintendent Mark Porterie.
“The health of our pupils is a concern, thus vaping is one of the top five issues we are tackling,” according to Porterie.
The detectors are designed to help discourage vaping in schools, but Porterie thinks more is needed to put an end to the habit.
“We talk every day, but we’ll need to do more than just talk,” Porterie added. “We’re going to have to demonstrate.”
The superintendent advises parents to enforce stringent rules around vaping with their kids.
“We absolutely need the parents to help us to help their students and youngsters stay healthy,” said Porterie. “Because we’re going to do everything we can to help, but we need the enforcement from home.”
Porterie wants to inform Port Arthur ISD students about the risks and effects of e-cigarette use.
According to Porterie, “There are graphics we can share with our children to help them understand what a pair of lungs looks like after they have inhaled smoke for a number of years.”
District officials will now publish a contractor recruitment advertisement in the newspaper following Tuesday night’s vote. Before the end of 2022, they might go ahead and install detectors.
“The use of e-cigarettes does not need to be a priority because it is something we can stop,” stated Porterie. “Vaping can end.”
