Stunning Vaping Study: One Third Of Santa Clara County High School Students Have Vaped
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- In high schools across the country, the classic rock song "Smoking in the Boys Room" is obsolete with vaping taking over the reins of nicotine addiction and putting it plain sight.
"Our teenagers are coming to school, they're slipping it inside their sleeve - this doesn't create a scent or big cloud and they're in class, tired with their head down, puffing through their sleeve," said Amy Rose of Recovery Happens.
A new study out of Santa Clara County says 31 percent of high school students have vaped and 13 percent of have continued vaping and have been hooked since their first hit.
Northgate High School Walnut Creek junior Anthony Ramirez disagrees, and says the study numbers are far too low.
"Like, most of them. Most of my classmates. Like, 50 percent of them," Ramirez told KPIX 5.
"We've got an entire new generation of addicts to nicotine - it's a concern," said Northgate Principal Dr. Michael McAlister.
When a student is caught vaping in class or on campus at Northgate, the student and parent have to attend "Vape School" on Saturdays. Parents like Salvador Ramirez wanted to know the science.
"We don't know what they do - what kind of drugs they take - we definitely want to know and get informed what kind of problems they're going to get in the future for their health," he told KPIX 5.
Wednesday night at Northgate, a handful of parents were getting a master class of what to look for and how their kids are getting hooked on nicotine by vaping.
Rose said they are typically buying online with a generic credit gift card purchased at a supermarket.
"You go on the site you click the button that says you're the right age - you don't even have to show an ID and they're getting their stuff mailed to a friends house where the parents aren't checking the packages," Rose said.