ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Getting into some bathrooms in Clinton High School requires the right key.
They are often locked because school officials say students use them to vape, avoiding security cameras.
"I've found vapes in the urinals. I've found vapes in the trash can. I've found vapes on the floor," Clinton High School Resource Officer Zack Strunk said.
It's a persistent problem Strunk addresses throughout the school year. Vaping detection devices implemented in 2021 across Anderson County schools alert him and administrators when vapes are used in bathrooms.
This school year, in partnership with the nonprofit ASAP of Anderson, vape disposal boxes will help monitor vaping trends among students.
"Essentially, it's a short, instant report that I fill out—where the vape came from, when it was found," Strunk explained.
As the Anderson County District Coordinator for School Health, part of Anna Hurt's job is educating parents about the dangers of vaping.
"We've seen them as young as third grade and a lot of times they really don't understand what the mechanism is," Hurts said. "Maybe parents have it or parents have provided it as a way of stress relieving."
Hurts explained that vapes are being disguised as everyday objects. "You could see a Sharpie, you could see a USB drive, and next thing you know—it's a vape."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in every 10 high school students across the country reported vaping during a 30-day period in 2023. The data also shows most middle and high school students who vape say they want to quit.
"Once our students get to high school, if they've been vaping since sixth grade—it's a nicotine addiction," Hurts said.
Most vapes contain nicotine, but Strunk said some of the vapes he's found contain THC—a chemical found in cannabis. "It's almost a never-ending battle, but I'm a believer that if we can get one kid to quit vaping, it's totally worth it," Strunk said.
Educators say getting students to quit vaping is a win, but they emphasize the key is preventing the addiction from forming in the first place. Anderson County is working to obtain grant funding to hire a designated specialist to tackle vaping within schools.