Students at a Raleigh high school are setting off fire alarms by vaping in restrooms
A Wake County high school is being plagued with fire alarms going off because of students smoking e-cigarettes in restrooms.
Ian Solomon, the principal of Leesville Road High in Raleigh, has sent parents at least two emails this month about how the school is being disrupted due to frequent false fire alarms. Solomon is warning that the students who are causing these disruptions because of vaping could receive long-term suspensions, which would last for more than 10 days from school.
“These false alarms cause disruptions impacting our instructional day,” Solomon said in a Sept. 1 email. “Each of these incidents are the result of students vaping in the restroom.
“This behavior has not and will not be tolerated at our school and students who are responsible and identified will be disciplined to maximum extent possible, up to long term suspension.”
Under school district policy, using tobacco or nicotine on campus is a violation that generally is not supposed to results in any out-of-school suspensions. Other punishments that keep students on campus are supposed to be used instead.
But district policy allows for out-of-school suspensions for repeat violations of less serious offenses or if the offense substantially disrupts the school environment.
Vaping popular with teens
The problems at Leesville highlight the challenges schools have in trying to curb the use of e-cigarettes by teens.
E-cigarettes are electronic devices that utilize a liquid laced with nicotine that produces a vapor that users inhale. Their popularity caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to declare an “epidemic” of underage vaping among young people.
From 2018 to 2019, use of e-cigarettes rose 78% among North Carolina high-schoolers and 48% among middle-schoolers, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.
North Carolina was the first state to sue e-cigarette giant Juul Labs on May 19, 2019. Juul was accused of targeting young people in its marketing and through using fruit and candy flavors for its e-cigarettes.
In June 2021, state attorneys announced a settlement agreement that subjects Juul to pay $40 million and forces it to change how it does business in North Carolina.
Soon after the state settled, Wake County joined other school districts across the country in suing Juul.
Earlier this month, Juul agreed to pay nearly $440 million to settle a two-year investigation by 33 states into the marketing of its products.
Multiple false alarms
In his Sept. 1 email, Solomon told parents that Leesville had three false fire alarms over the course of two days, requiring the Raleigh Fire Department to be dispatched on each occasion.
A few days later on Sept. 6, Solomon sent another message to parents saying the Raleigh Fire Department had responded to four false fire alarms over the course of that week.
“Repeated dispatches will eventually cost the school financially,” Solomon said. “These false alarms more importantly cause disruptions impacting our instructional day.”
Solomon reiterated his warning that the students responsible for the false alarms due to their vaping could face long-term suspensions.
“Please take an opportunity to discuss this matter with your student and the importance of reporting inappropriate behaviors to staff members and administrators to ensure that we maintain a safe and orderly environment,” Solomon wrote.
Parents say that Leesville has continued to have fire alarms go off this week.
Solomon referred questions Thursday to Lisa Luten, a Wake school district spokeswoman. Luten said that the school has not yet incurred costs from firefighters responding to the false alarms.
Luten said that Leesville staff are using various means to identify the students who are responsible for the false alarms.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 5:07 PM.
