The American media and the U.S. government have gone completely insane over vaping. The issue is overblown and misreported.
The issue is not over-the-counter vaping products, but rather black market products and marijuana oils.
But because of the coverage, we have seen an increase to the federal smoking age and the ban of products from sale that have shown no culpability in the actual problem:
The agency isn’t tracking whether people were using legal or black market sources to vape, but the data we have from states suggests it’s overwhelmingly illicit, pre-filled THC vape cartridges making people sick.
And don’t think I’m pro-vaping. I’m not.
Local school systems in North Alabama, and probably elsewhere, are taking equally ridiculous steps to combat this “issue.”
Decatur City Schools is sending its criminal vapers to an alternate school for their offense.
That’s right, they will take your child out of their regular school, their regular classes and send them to a school designed to deal with repetitive or serious behavioral problems for taking a pull off a vape pen.
Decatur doesn’t tell you how long they will be disrupting the educational process over vaping but don’t worry, it’s for your kid’s own good.
In an email to Yellowhammer News, a parent who has a child in Madison City Schools said they are taking a similar approach:
I personally know, through experience with my son, that Madison also assigns [alternative school] for vaping (25 days/5 weeks of it).
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He said that punishment was standard and that he couldn’t make concessions for one student and not another based on past behavior or student involvement, etc.
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BTW, in the hearing we had at the school we were informed that a vaping device is considered drug distribution parefenallia regardless if drug material is found in/on the vape device.
The punishment is 25 days. Five total weeks in an alternative school … for vaping.
Maybe the kid is a troublemaker? Nope. Zero tolerance … for vaping.
Why? Because vaping is considered the same as drugs.
This is an embarrassing overreaction that can seriously impact the student’s education and future.
It’s time for these school systems to pull back and recalibrate what is going on here. If school systems continue down this path, it might be time for the state legislature to get involved.
Dale Jackson is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts a talk show from 7-11 am weekdays on WVNN.
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