Corbin school officials concerned about third, fourth graders vaping

When you think about youth vaping, most people imagine rebellious teenagers. However, vaping is now reaching a much younger group of children.

“Vaping has become an issue at the elementary level. We are taking quite a few vapes off fourth and fifth graders. That has happened recently probably in the last month and a half,” Corbin Elementary School Principal Chris Webb told members of the Corbin Board of Education during its monthly meeting Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Corbin Board of Education took the unusual step of sending out an open letter to businesses in the area that sell vaping products requesting that they move those vaping products behind the counter and closely monitor the selling of these products to minors.

“Use of vaping products by minors in our schools is an ever growing and very alarming problem. We are dealing with an incredible number of vaping issues in our schools and the number of incidents we see is growing daily. The age of students utilizing vaping products is getting younger as time goes by,” Superintendent Dave Cox and District Safety Officer Tom Greer wrote in the letter, which is also signed by the Corbin Board of Education.

“When speaking to students anonymously, many tell us that use is rampant and they all know friends who are addicted to this practice. There are many documented cases of students using these devices to house illegal substances as well.”

The letter notes that most businesses, who sell these products, follow the law, but that a large number of underage students have told school officials that they purchased these products locally.

“We have documented cases of students becoming very ill from this type of activity at school and have had to summon emergency medical help on occasion. When this type of activity happens at home, the adult who ends up caring for the child often has no idea what the root of the problem is and consequently does not know how to help,” the letter reads.

During a recent school assembly, middle school students were asked if they knew of a student in their age group that vapes regularly and cannot quit. Over half of the hands went up.

The letter askes retail businesses to move all vaping products behind the counter similar to what is already done with tobacco, and that the stores train and instruct employees to refrain from selling these products to minors.

“Again, we know that there are businesses that do not sell to underage customers under any circumstance, and we thank you for that. However based on our recent experiences, we know there are certain locations that are allowing minors to acquire these products. Please help us to avoid a potential tragedy. Thank you for your help,” the letter concludes.

To read a complete version of this letter, see www.thenewsjournal.net.