Student arrested for having a vape pen filled with THC oil at school

A student at Lehigh Senior High School was caught with a vape pen filled with THC oil, and now has to go through a diversion program.

The school’s principal searched her vehicle and found the vape pen on the passenger’s side floor board. This latest arrest has experts saying vaping is now an epidemic.

“They think it’s cool, it’s popular. That’s what they believe now these days,” said a member of law enforcement Jonathan Miller.

As a member of law enforcement, Miller says vaping has now entered middle and high schools, and it is something he sees everyday.

“It’s getting out of hand,” Miller said. “This is not a slap on the wrist. We [law enforcement] are acting on it and taking it serious.”

Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies acted on it Tuesday when they arrested the Lehigh Senior High student for having a vape pen that tested positive for THC and other paraphernalia in their car.

“I’d call it an epidemic,” said Florida Gulf Coast University professor and program director for clinical mental health Abbe Finn. “The issue here is the people who become addicted to nicotine through these devices are going to be lifelong users.”

According to a survey conducted by Florida Department of Children and Families, up to one in four students in southwest Florida have vaped within the last 30 days.

“They [vapes] can hide in plain sight, they [vapes] look like a thumb drive. They [vapes] look like ordinary devices,” Finn said. “So, your child could have it [vape] out and you might not recognize what it is.”

Tonight, the Food and Drug Administration is investigation reports of people suffering seizures after using e-cigarettes, highlighting the fact that this type of substance usage is still unknown to humans.

“Recognizing that children and adolescents part of the brain that makes good decisions isn’t full developed, so you as parents have to make good decisions for them,” Finn said.

In Florida, it is illegal to possess THC oil without a medical card.