Vaping use on the rise at Boulder schools

It might not be popular to smoke cigarettes anymore, but nicotine continues to find its way into the lungs of America’s youth, and Jefferson High School and Boulder Elementary are not immune to the latest craze created by the tobacco industry: vaping, or using an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking.

At the April 18 Jefferson High school board meeting, principal Mike Moodry said he’s confiscated 22 vaping devices on campus this school year (12 in the last three months alone). He’s also seen 89 total discipline events compared to 53 last year, many of which were directly related to vaping.

“It’s a whole new fad,” he said. “It reminds me of the movies from the 50s and 60s when the kids are outside smoking, like in ‘Grease.’ We are back to that…except with vaping. It’s an epidemic.”