e-cigs
E-cigs have students buzzingBY JORDYN WILLIAMS OCT. 10 2014
contributed photo
Pancakes, pina colada, Jolly Rancher and strawberry lemonade. These are just a few of the many flavors of a trending piece of technology that has recently begun to enter the lives of many Rose students. The e-cig.
The e-cig, which is short for electronic cigarette, is a battery-powered vaporizer which simulates tobacco smoking by producing a vapor that resembles smoke. Most e-cigs still contain a small amount of nicotine, which is the main reason why they are banned. However, the fact that they do not contain the harmful chemicals that are in most tobacco products is one of the main reasons they are so appealing to many teenagers. “I normally use my e-cig about every twenty minutes,” an anonymous e-cig user said. Though many students enjoy using e-cigs off school property, most of them are unaware of the disciplinary rules concerning their use on campus. There is a grey area with most students concerning the policies about e-cig use on school campus. However, a quick look inside the student code of conduct book, given to all students, would reveal the rules concerning all tobacco product and e-cig use at school. “The Pitt County school board stated that [e-cigs] are not allowed to be used on campus,” assistant principal Lettie Micheletto said. Though not technically illegal for minor use, e-cigs are still banned by Pitt County schools and use on school campus is punishable by administration. “For a first offense, I would discipline them by confiscating [the e-cig], then I would contact the parents and give it to them,” Micheletto said. Micheletto also expressed that though the administration tries to stop any use of e-cigs, they are very difficult to catch. Though smoking e-cigs on campus is banned, there are still students who find ways to get some smoking time in. There are some Rose students who take the time to smoke off campus, even if it is as close as across the street from the school. Since this “fad” has made many students go out of their way to find ways to smoke their e-cigs, one might ask why. An anonymous Rose student e-cig user said that he uses his e-cig to get “a mean buzz.” They also explained that e-cigs are a much better alternative to cigarette smoking, especially because you can put flavors in them. The anonymous student went on to say that almost everyone in his immediate friend group had e-cigs, and that they all used them frequently. Though e-cigs are a disciplinary concern for Rose administration, they are still very popular among students. The e-cig user population at Rose is steadily rising, which increases the pressure on administration to catch rule violations. As long as students only use their e-cigs off school campus they will not be breaking any school rules by participating in this new trend. |
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