TEXAS, USA — Across the country, students, parents and teachers are prepping for the new school year.
In Central Texas, more police departments and school districts are raising awareness about a new vape pen before it hits the classrooms.
The vape is designed to look like a school supply item such as a pen, pencil or sharpie. It works just like a normal pen and there's other options like highlighters.
"It's being made so it can be snuck past," Dr. Amy Mersiovsky, Director and Chair of the Department of Nursing for Texas A&M University-Central Texas, said. "That might be even more harmful because no one expects it."
Temple ISD Superintendent Dr. Bobby Ott has been working with law enforcement so they and other officials know what to look out for.
"They become aware of the newest paraphernalia that comes out and they let us know," Dr. Ott said. "We work with our administrators and our teachers to get them trained."
The Temple ISD superintendent says it's all to protect the future generation.
"You may take something and think it's one thing, but it may be laced with something else," Dr. Ott added. "Everybody's body reacts differently to substances. I mean, that's a proven fact, and so you don't know what's going to happen."
Dr. Ott says their team first heard about this with highlighters last year early in the spring.
"I would tell students it's not worth it," Dr. Ott said. "What makes it really not worth it is this last legislative session, the consequence has changed. Now in public schools, if you're caught vaping, you go straight to a discipline alternative school. You are removed from your campus, and with that comes loss of privileges. If you were involved in fine arts or athletics or any extracurricular, those are suspended."
The consequences hit outside the classroom too. Those using vapes could have permanent lung damage or respiratory failure.
"It's not worth your life," Dr. Ott said. "It's not worth the consequences that come with it. Just don't do it."
To ensure safety on campus, Salado ISD Superintendent Dr. Michael Novotny has measures in place.
"We have drug dogs that come through occasionally," Dr. Novotny said. "We also have vape detectors in our restrooms that will will pick that up and send an alert. We also do random drug testing with our secondary students, as a preventative or deterrent as well to try to stop it."
The conversations to help prevent this behavior from starting can begin at home to provide added emphasis to the severity of what getting caught with one of these devices is like.
"If they don't think adults know about it, they're more likely to participate or engage in it," Dr. Ott said. "If you just tell them straight up, I know what's going on. I know that these are out there, and I know what these look like. If I see them in your bag, you're going to have consequences at home. There's no room for this in the learning environment."
Dr. Ott added that parents should be the one buying school supplies, not students. If you don't have the resources to do so, schools can provide pens and pencils.
If you have concerns, check their bags and make sure to alert your child you know this is out there.
"We're a partnership in this," Dr. Ott said. "We don't see and hear everything. We need your help. You need our help. Let's work together, and let's protect our kids."
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