You may have heard the news and you may not like it. Over the announcements Friday, November 22 Gibson Southern’s Resource Officer, Deputy Dan Lienemann informed everyone that new vaping laws are to be strictly enforced starting Monday, Nov 25. Those are ICC 35-46. 1-10.5 and ICC 7.1-5. 12-8. Getting caught breaking these laws will leave you with a fee and other consequences. You could get issued a ticket and have it left on your record! 

Class B infractions come with a fine of up to 1,000 dollars. You may be charged with a class B infraction if you are caught using a tobacco product or electronic cigarettes on school grounds or on school transportation.

If you are caught with the same violations as class B and are under the age of 18 this will also add on a class C infraction which can have a fee up to 500 dollars. 

A class A infraction is If you receive multiple charges while attending Gibson Southern High School. A class A infraction can come with a fine up to 10,000 dollars, and possibly jail time.

Some students don’t like this and some think it’s great. One student offered their input on the new rules. 

“I think they shouldn’t have it. I mean its good but, as far as the charge, it is excessive. A fee would be fine rather than a charge because people and teenagers make mistakes… I just don’t think it’s necessary to have a charge put on a student for something that can be overcome and get better,” Jaden Schantz said. 

It has been said by multiple students that the school has installed sensors in the bathrooms that notify the office if a student is vaping. Though the rumors are incorrect. 

“There are no sensors in the bathrooms at this time” Deputy Lienemann said.

Deputy Lienemann also discussed the health issues vaping cause. “I think it’s very dangerous to smoke, especially the vaping. We’re still finding out, we don’t know what’s in those things exactly. As time progresses, we already know that there have been 12 deaths and from that aspect, it kinda scares me.” Deputy Lienemann also thinks about how vaping can affect other people.

“They’ve got data and proof now that second-hand smoking is dangerous, so yeah sure it’s your body and what you’re ingesting into it and that’s fine until it impacts someone else. And that’s what’s not fair.”