NewsTreasure CoastRegion Martin County

Actions

Martin County Sheriff's Office offers parents advice to crackdown on teen vaping

Posted at 5:31 AM, Oct 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-10-15 05:49:16-04

MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — Local law enforcement say vaping in schools continues to be a problem despite recent health warnings and deaths.

Martin County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ryan Grimsdale and Sgt. Joseph Collazo know the ins and outs of vaping devices.

“In the school setting, we are seeing it just as much as we were before. We are still confiscating probably two to three, in some cases four and five (vaping devices) a week,” said Grimsdale.

MORE: Vaping epidemic: What you need to know | Vaping-linked lung problems surface in Florida

Despite the increased awareness and health warnings about vaping, they say the problem still exists in schools and on the streets.

“Since this has been on the national media, we've not seen a decrease. We've had some overdoses within our schools,” said Grimsdale.

“The amount of vape pens that we encounter on the street during traffic stops and encounters are about the same as they have been before,” said Collazo.

But why? Both point to the deceptive nature of it.

“A lot of times these parents don't know what to look for, so they just automatically assume since it's not something so egregious, or something so obvious, that their child is not doing it,” said Grimsdale. “They need to pay attention to the nuances of it.”

Now, law enforcement is urging parents for help.

“The parents need to be completely involved,” said Grimsdale.

They warn that the problems could come when it comes to minors and vaping.

“We do confiscate them and either charge them with possession, which is a civil infraction in the state of Florida, and then we would pursue it from a school disciplinary perspective,” said Grimsdale.

It’s all about educating both parents and children alike.

“Making sure they understand the ramifications not just from a medical perspective and a health perspective but also the legal perspective,” said Grimsdale.