written by Maeve Ashbrook

To view the interview please visit: https://www.kake.com/story/47941047/newton-high-school-harvey-county-coalition-to-host-vape-take-back-day-for-students?fbclid=IwAR39KrgzHa6YMCwXOrgmr0coX9-1kQAvCFRSn9FTaSF64t2C7d11y0cztkk

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) - This week, Newton High School is holding a “Vape Take Back Day." 

Students can drop off their vaping devices with a representative from the Harvey County Drug-Free Youth Coalition. The coalition came up with the idea and is in charge of the event.

“Vaping amongst our teens is increasing,” Melissa Schreiber, coalition coordinator, said. “Not all of them do it, but the ones that do it, we wanted to give them an out, an easy way to get rid of their device and give them resources.”

No administrator will be present, and students will receive no discipline for turning a vape in. E-cigarettes and vaping devices are not allowed at any Newton public school. 

“You can drive around and see people vaping in their cars or down the streets or walking out of the stores, so we were really trying to address social norms and, you know, make it not a social norm to vape,” Schreiber said. 

The Drug-Free Youth coalition works to stop underage drinking and substance abuse in teens in Harvey County. It also runs programs for middle schoolers. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, e-cigarettes are unsafe for children and teens. They can affect brain development because they contain nicotine. 

“Right now, culture's pretty bad,” student representative and STAND president Hudson Ferralez said. “It's pretty rough, and the wrong stuff is the right culture now, and my goal is to put the right stuff in the right culture.”

This is the second “Vape Take Back Day” NHS has hosted this year. Schreiber said it is “catching on” and hopes more students will participate this time around. 

“What bad does it do for you?” Ferralez said. “If you give away something that causes problems, you have a better chance of helping your body out when you get rid of stuff that's bad for it.”

Schreiber said there are Drug-Free Youth coalitions in multiple Kansas counties, including Sedgwick and Reno. She said schools can contact their chapter if they are interested in hosting a similar event. 

“We felt like this was, this was a good way,” she said. “Go where the kids are.”