Several students at Homestead High School in Mequon were busted for vaping illegal THC cartridges at school. It comes after an eighth person has died from a vaping-related illness.
Janet Hunt said she’s worried about the amount of young people vaping across the country, and even more concerned to hear it’s happening at the same school her grandchild will soon be attending.
“It’s scary because you know you don’t want your child to be that child that dies from it,” Hunt said. “You just don’t know what it’s going to do to your child.”
Mequon Police Captain John Hoell said on September 11, a school resource officer was contacted by staff about a female student who wasn’t acting rational. Her speech and behavior were abnormal.
“Was falling down, wasn’t steady on their feet,” Hoell said.
They determined she was vaping THC in a bathroom with five other students, all girls, aged 14 and 15-years-old.
“All six students were passing around a THC vape pen,” Hoell said.
Police cited each for possessing THC, a fine of $435. One of the students was also cited for drug paraphernalia.
“This is not a normal day at Homestead,” Hoell said. “It’s normally not six people, it’s one student at a time.”
The Mequon-Theinsville School District called this incident very serious, and said in a statement:
“Substance abuse education, including vaping, is a formal component of our district’s health curriculum.”
According to the student handbook, students caught with a controlled substance or nicotine are subject to disciplinary action. The district would not say what happened in this case.
In the meantime, Hoell encourages parents and students to be more aware of the potential dangers of vaping.
“It’s a choice and it’s a poor choice that you know people need to think twice about before they’re doing,” Hoell said.
“I just want the kids to be safe,” Hunt said.
It’s important to note that police can ticket students for vaping nicotine at school too. Hoell said it’s a problem they encounter too often.
