As the popularity of vapes and other electronic cigarettes continue to increase among teenagers, LHS principal Bob Grimm and the rest of the LHS staff have implemented new policies to fight the growing problem.

The new policies include a zero tolerance policy for possessing vaping supplies or vaping in or on school grounds. This protocol means that if an LHS staff member catches a student either vaping or having vaping supplies on them, the device and supplies are to be confiscated and will not be returned. Another part of the new policy is that teachers have been assigned to check different parts of the school at random times to make sure these activities are not occurring at LHS.

“We have a plan in place where staff members are walking through the restrooms every period to ensure that students aren’t doing things they aren’t supposed to be doing,” said Grimm. “We’ve also put in place a policy where if we catch you with it now, we don’t return the device. It’s confiscated; we’ll destroy it.”

To further hinder students from vaping at school or bringing vaping supplies to school, stricter punishments will be put in place.

“[Currently] it’s a two-day suspension, but it’s about to be increased to a five-day suspension to try to deter students from bringing the devices to school,” said Grimm.

These protocols have been put in place for the safety of students because of the effect vaping has on a user’s lungs. Many of the students at LHS who own vapes may not even be aware of the risks they take by vaping, so Grimm has his own plan to help inform students of these risks.

“I think we are going to start handing out literature on the dangers of [vaping] because people don’t know them yet,” said Grimm. “[Vaping] is harmful; the chemicals do bad things to your lungs.”

Grimm wants LHS to be a safe place for all students to learn and gain an education, not a place where students could be potentially harming themselves by doing an activity that has been proven to be harmful, like vaping.

“If you guys see kids doing it, you need to let the adults know,” said Grimm. “It’s your school. It’s not Bob Grimm High School, it’s Lincoln High School and we have a shared responsibility. I have as much of a responsibility as you, and you have as much of a responsibility as I to ensure that every kid is able to come to school every day and go into the restroom or locker room and not have to worry about whether someone is in there doing something they’re not supposed to be. If you know if someone is smoking weed [at school], I’d expect to know. If they’re smoking cigarettes, if they’re drinking alcohol, I’d expect to know. They’re all rules, they are all varying levels of issues, but I’d expect you as a student to take ownership. It’s your building. I work for you. I answer to you. It’s not the other way around.”