ELDRIDGE, Iowa — North Scott Community School District decided to try a new method in its efforts to curb vaping in schools.
Superintendent Joe Stutting said the school district will add a "halo system" — a device designed to detect vaping. It will be installed in the district's junior high and high school restrooms.
The move came after school administration discovered a group of students with a vaping device at North Scott High School that test results revealed contained THC and fentanyl, according to a letter from the school district sent to parents Thursday, Feb. 17.
"We encourage you to continue to talk with your students about the potential dangers of using vape pens and other illegal substances," Stutting said in the statement. "Often, someone using a vape pen is not aware of what chemicals could have been added."
Aside from breaking school rules involving vape products, there was a concern of minors illegally obtaining the devices. Purchasing those products through illegitimate sources could mean they are laced with mixes of fentanyl, the most common drug involved in opioid deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"It's obviously very concerning having fentanyl show up in a vaping device," Stutting said. "And of course, when you add in THC (found in cannabis) and other drugs within the mix, you're violating other laws."
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, addictive and dangerous.
According to the CDC, since 2020, fentanyl overdoses have killed more people ages 18-45 than COVID-19, car accidents and suicides.