The Carroll County Times out of Maryland posted an interesting piece on e-cigarettes recently. The article seems to have been inspired by the school system's efforts to ban e-cigarettes (and any nicotine products including NRTs). Yet, the article also featured fairly extensive talks with local shop owners.
Students could be giving the e-cigarettes to other students who aren’t addicted to nicotine, thus causing new nicotine addictions, he said.
“I really believe students believe that advertising and assume they’re safe,” Falls said.
Under the policy, each student violation results in confiscation and the requirement that parents pick up the product. During the first offense, the school system recommends the students voluntarily go through the tobacco education program offered by the Health Department.
After a second offense, the student is mandated to attend the program, and failure to obey could result in a punishment less severe than out-of-school suspension. The third offense results in program attendance, if not yet completed, and could result in out-of-school suspension.
Falls said no one student has been caught with the products more than once. He hopes students realize that maintaining a nicotine addiction is not healthy for any teenagers, he said.
I honestly have no problems with schools banning e-cigarettes. The products aren't intended for minors, so they shouldn't be available in schools, seems simple enough. What I find odd is that this guy is freaking out over the things, making up stores about the popularity of a product nobody at the school seems to be using.
