PALATKA, Fla. — The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on vapes on school campuses.
Students caught with vapes will now be issued a civil citation and required to complete community service hours and an anti-tobacco education program.
The sheriff’s office showed Action News Jax a photo from 2023 displaying hundreds of confiscated vapes. They say it was taken after three students were sent to the hospital with adverse reactions linked to vaping, including cardiac issues and seizures.
Another photo showed a few dozen vapes confiscated at Palatka High School during this school year alone.
“The rate at which these kids are vaping now has reached an epidemic proportion,” said Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach.
DeLoach says it’s a problem that’s getting out of control.
“We’ve tried to be very methodical and (we’ve) gone through a series of educational campaigns with our kids here, and they’re just not getting the message,” DeLoach said. “They don’t see the danger in it.”
Florida law states that possessing a vape is unlawful for anyone under the age of 21.
“We’ve been dealing with cigarettes and with marijuana and all kinds of narcotics,” said Putnam County School District’s Superintendent, Dr. Rick Surrency. “But this is even more serious because we don’t know what’s in there.”
Dr. Surrency says the sheriff’s office has already issued 65 citations to students so far this school year, but they are secondary to a child’s health.
“We’ve had five incidents where we’ve had to call EMS, call an ambulance, because kids were having reactions,” Dr. Surrency said. “It’s something that could kill a student in the right circumstance.”
Both Dr. Surrency and DeLoach say their message to students is clear — vaping can cause serious health issues, and it’s got to stop.
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