As Superintendent of Union County Public Schools, I am asking for your help in addressing an issue that is growing at an alarming rate in Kentucky schools. This school year, in Union County schools alone, there have been 42 student discipline referrals involving eCigs. With the popularity and usage of eCigs spreading so quickly among Union County students, we MUST work together to stop this harmful behavior quickly.

The issue with students using eCigs doesn’t end with nicotine. Marijuana, alcohol and other drugs can also be ingested through the vape. Many users of marijuana prefer ecigs or vapes because it’s smokeless, odorless and easy to hide or conceal. This “vaping” is a concern in our schools and elsewhere among youth, because it can produce a nearly instant “high” with little or no detection. Even if a child doesn’t intend to use a vape for drugs, if he/she purchases a vape from someone who has recently used it to smoke hash oil or alcohol, he or she will also get the residual effect of the previous user’s drugs.

Unfortunately, we have already found this happening with both our middle and high school students.

I want to remind all students and parents of the UCPS policy (Policy 09.4232) prohibiting students from possessing e-cigs on school property. This policy prohibits students from using or possessing any tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products on property owned or operated by the Board, inside Board-owned vehicles, on the way to and from school, and during school-sponsored trips and activities.

Due to the variety of unknown substances that is found in e-cigs and the dangers they pose to our citizens, particularly Union County youth, UCPS will take this violation seriously, investigate it fully, and make every effort to find the source of access to our students. Vaporizers, including all vape devices and e-cigarette systems, constitute drug paraphernalia. All of these materials will be confiscated and turned over to our local Sheriff’s office.
Students who violate any aspect of the Alcohol/Drug Rule, including e-cigs or vapes on school property, will immediately be sent for a drug/alcohol screening. If the drug screen is positive, the student must follow drug/alcohol counseling as prescribed in the code of conduct book, which will be at the sole expense of the parents.

Educating today's students for an unknown future is often a challenging undertaking. Regardless of tomorrow's challenges or state of the world we live in, one thing is certain: our students’ safety and well-being is of utmost importance to us as we prepare them for a bright future. We must prepare our children to tackle whatever they might face with self-confidence and a sense of security. Join me in reminding them of the importance of using a bold statement, such as, just saying NO and meaning it when it comes to peer-pressure, especially when related to drugs!

I encourage you to talk to your children about this disturbing issue. You can begin good conversation with your child by asking him/her to talk to you about the pictures/videos posted on their snap chat, Instagram, and/or Facebook, and other social media by themselves or their friends. During this day and time of social media, we must remind our children to step up and be leaders, not followers.

Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this matter. I encourage each of you to use our anonymous tipline 1-866-TIPLINE (847-5463) to report any issues of which we need to be aware.

God Bless and Make it a Great day!

Patricia Sheffer, Superintendent
Union County Public Schools