MENOMONEE FALLS — Menomonee Falls high school students are learning the results of a survey regarding e-cigarette use.
Here are those results:
- 46% of high school students admitted they have tried an e-cigarette, 25% of which vape on a regular basis.
- 5% of middle schoolers even admitted they have tried vaping.
The new information caught the attention of the school athletic director.
"Comes in a lot of shapes and sizes that's for sure, a lot more than I would have thought," Brian Heimark said. "Some of them look like ball point pens, some of them look very similar to a jump drive."
Athletes sign a code of conduct to not do drugs and that now includes vaping. The district wants the entire community to be on notice.
They plan to send out email blasts to parents, as well as social media posts.
Posters may also be taped up across the high school to get everyone's attention.
Kathy Young, director of pupil services, warns younger people can get addicted to nicotine faster.
"Because the brain is still under development," said Young.
After 16 hospitalizations linked to vaping in Wisconsin, leaders are determined not to have one of their students become the next statistic.
A public health advisory was also sent out by the Wisconsin Department of Health, noting from 2014 to 2018, e-cigarette use among high schoolers increased 154%.
