Vaping has become a ubiquitous presence in the lives of teenagers, shaping their daily routines and posing a challenge to educators and parents alike. While many students view vaping as commonplace, the consequences are far from benign.

Nosa Omorogbe, a senior at South Colonie High School, acknowledges the prevalence of vaping among her peers.

"A lot of teenagers vape. It's kind of just like a normal thing that I think people do," she said.

Omorogbe doesn’t vape, emphasizing the need to frame the issue accurately.

"A lot of it is about teaching the harmful aspects of it, the addiction to nicotine, what metals and substances it introduces into your lungs, and the long-term consequences,” said health teacher Robert Stranahan.

The struggle to educate students about the dangers of vaping persists, given the continuously evolving landscape of e-cigarette products.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that scientists are still unraveling the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes. The devices, designed to resemble everyday items like USB drives and pens, present a challenge for teachers and parents trying to detect them. School districts across the nation have initiated proactive measures to identify them.

"Setting up deterrents, using vape detectors, having conversations, and implementing physical and staffing supports to create barriers during the school day to make it a challenge,” said South Colonie Assistant Superintendent Christopher Robilotti.

The issue has extended beyond the classroom, with some schools adopting measures like securing restroom doors open and stationing monitors in hallways.

However, challenges persist. Students often attempt to hide vape pens and cartridges by disposing of them in toilets, leading to expensive plumbing issues for districts. Schools are taking steps to counter this, including sign-in/out protocols to prevent on-campus vaping.

Omorogbe recognizes the limitations of monitoring bathrooms but considers it a step towards maintaining order.

"They're not really able to walk inside the bathroom and monitor exactly what you're doing,” she said. “But I do think it's a good step to try to have some type of order in the bathrooms."

Melissa Goncerz, a mother and health teacher at Draper Middle School, emphasized the importance of early education about the dangers of these discreetly designed vaping devices.

"We do talk about vaping and prevention, and we do see in the middle school some vaping that does occur,” Goncerz said.

According to a 2022 FDA study, more than 3 million middle and high school students have used tobacco products, with e-cigarettes being the most common choice.

"These could be very addictive for a young brain and that definitely can cause problems, you know, harder to quit. And especially with all the flavors out there that kind of mask that nicotine taste,” Goncerz said.

Despite extensive efforts to inform students about the dangers of vaping, some are still drawn to it. School leaders emphasize the need for action on the home front as well.

"From the outside, it looks like students spend a lot of time at school, but in reality, it's a small part of their day,” Robilotti said.