'We just wanted to get on the front end of it:' Bibb County Schools cracks down on vaping

MACON, Ga. — The Bibb County School District is taking action against E-cigarettes. 

This comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued warnings to stop vaping as they get more reports of injury and death from E-cigarette users.

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"So we actually did insert vaping into the handbook this year," said Assistant Superintendent of Student Affairs Jamie Cassady.

Cassady says any type of E-cigarette or vaping use is now against student code.

"We saw it from a national standpoint of becoming an issue, so we just wanted to get on the front end of it," he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it received more than 300 reports of lung illness tied to vaping across the country.

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That's why doctors want you to educate your kids. 

"Teaching them to not just listen to their friends, do their own research, I think that fosters respect between parent and teen and is better than just an ultimatum," said Christy Peterson, a pediatrician with Navicent Health.

Peterson says different vaping flavors can entice teens but later lead to serious medical issues.

"There are burns that can happen with the devices if they are in the pockets," she said.

Peterson says researchers are still trying to figure out what chemicals are in E-cigarettes that may make people sick.

"I think we have to go back to it is still nicotine, and nicotine we know has bad health effects," she said. "It raises your blood pressure; it is related to heart attacks and stroke. It is still highly addictive."

For now Peterson says parents should keep E-cigarettes away from their kids while research continues.

Bibb County Schools says students caught breaking the rule can face in-school or out-of-school suspension.

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