SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — More kids are vaping in Washington, and many of them are doing it in school.
Now, the state legislature is trying to make it easier for schools to stop them.
Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of young people who are vaping. This trend has been a cause for concern, and some schools are installing vaping detectors to catch kids in the act.
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Some schools in the Inland Northwest have installed detectors, but they’re expensive. Spokane Public Schools paid over $100,000 to install them, and not every school district can afford that.
“To date, we haven’t had vape detectors,” Laura Lindley, principal of Bowdish Middle School, said. “Really, it’s just an expense thing, and there is a lot that goes into installing them.”
Bowdish Middle School is a part of the Central Valley School District, which does not currently have the detectors.
“So, having vaping detectors would help us be more aware of when it’s happening and be more responsive to the situation so we can intervene immediately,” Lindley said.