LAKE FOREST, Ill.–As unfortunate as the ascension of vaping, or JUULing, has been in recent years at LFHS, Superintendent Mr. Mike Simeck, with the help of the Lake Forest City Council and Lake Forest Police Detective and student resource officer at LFHS Mr. Ben Grum, are doing their best to curb the popularity of the dangerous fad.

According to an article in the Daily North Shore, Superintendent Simeck sent a letter to the Lake Forest Police Department outlining how “juuling” or “vaping” has become increasingly popular at LFHS in comparison to other “peer” schools in the area. As a result, the school has insisted to implement procedures to treat tobacco offenders at LFHS as violations of the law. Previously, the deans at the high school were in charge of the consequences for students caught using any type of tobacco product. But, with the growing popularity of students using THC in its liquid form inhaled by vaping has made marijuana detection nearly impossible for LFHS administration. Thus, from here on out, the school has the option to turn the offenders over to Grum. From there, arrests can be made, equipment can be confiscated and then tested in a lab.

Although Simeck alluded to the curbing of electronic cigarette use in all forms in Lake Forest as a community issue that will take a community-wide effort to end, LFHS’ new policies should, in some part, deter students–especially those under 18–from using JUULs or other forms of tobacco inside the walls of 1285 N. McKinley Rd.

The students who vape or use tobacco consistently, of course, are largely unaware of the health dangers in doing so. Though Wellness for Life teachers, including Mr. Joe Busse who is known to be a staunch critic of vaping, are doing their best to educate young students on the issue, it has still undoubtedly become something that is prevalent and problematic at LFHS.