In response to escalating vaping problems, several school bathrooms within the 30s building have been closed.
PHS Principal David Yoshihara and Attendance Clerk and Campus Supervisor Michael Bell said they came to a joint decision, and ultimately decided to close the bathrooms for the week of Aug. 26.
“The girls bathrooms on both floors of the 30s buildings have been closed and the boys bathroom on the second floor have been closed. These bathrooms were specifically targeted and closed because of repeated vaping reports in these specific bathrooms,” said Yoshihara.
The decision to target these bathrooms was driven by a sophisticated detection system that was installed in 2019, said Yoshihara.
These detectors are multi-sensor devices capable of detecting nicotine chemical vapors, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) chemical vapors, cigarette smoke, marijuana smoke as well as noise disturbances that may suggest violence such as bullying, according to the ICAS corporation.
“We receive these notifications due to these detectors placed in all of the school bathrooms. Administrators like Mr. Bell and I receive these notifications momentarily after the aerosols are detected,” said Yoshihara.
Despite these advanced detection methods, addressing the issue remains challenging, said Yoshihara.
“Even though we have closed three of the most common bathrooms for vaping, being the 30s building bathrooms, the vapers often relocate to a different bathroom which is why it has been difficult to find a permanent solution to stop the vaping,” said Bell.
Most students were unaware of this decision until the week of Aug. 26 when there were posters put up on the locked bathroom doors that stated they have been closed due to vaping issues. This information was in the weekly newsletter sent out on Aug. 23 where there was no specific date mentioned to when these bathrooms will be reopened.
“We will reopen them when deemed appropriate, but are expecting that they will be reopened Sept. 3,” said Yoshihara.
The bathrooms were reopened the week of Sept. 3, the administration is prepared to escalate their response if the vaping problem worsens.
“If the issue continues and grows we will be forced to have staff park outside the bathrooms and when there is a notification of vaping, to further investigate the issue and individual students,” Bell said.
Yoshihara said he hopes this tactic won’t be necessary in the future.
“We hope the vaping issue doesn’t grow to this extreme but are willing to do whatever it takes to stop vaping in the school bathrooms,” said Yoshihara.
