Dear Parents,
Every year I have the opportunity to with other superintendents from our peer IASAS schools and from international schools around the region. Certain themes tend to emerge as we get together and this year there is a theme that is troubling school officials both internationally and domestically in the US—vaping.
The use of e-cigarettes has become so widespread among teenagers, and yet so foreign to parents, that an article in the Boston Globe described it as, "the most widespread phenomenon you've likely never heard of."
Much like their traditional cigarette counterparts there are significant health risks involved. In a study published by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine researchers found that, "e-cigarettes have a signature of harm in the lung that is both similar to what we see in cigarette smokers and unique in other ways." The scary thing for parents and educators is that unlike cigarettes that are commonly known to be dangerous, many teenagers don't actually believe e-cigarettes are dangerous. In a survey published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 66 percent of teens surveyed believe that the only thing they are inhaling is flavored vapor while another 13 percent said they were not sure what was actually inside their e-cigarette. As parents you should understand that e-cigarettes contain nicotine, much like traditional cigarettes. Currently, one JuulPod contains as much nicotine as an entire package of cigarettes.
Singapore has acted quickly and has taken a definitive stance on the use of Juul and other e-cigarettes. Earlier this year, Singapore made it illegal to buy, use, or possess imitation tobacco products such as e-cigarettes. The fine for first time offenders is $2,000 which doubles if the crime is repeated.
Over the past two weeks a number of middle school and high school students were suspended for using or possessing e-cigarettes. We are strengthening our efforts to crack down on this behavior and to help students understand the dangers of e-cigarette use. It is important that you understand the disciplinary consequences, and that they are the same for every student. And as with all discipline, we view this as a learning opportunity and work closely with students and families that will hopefully result in better choices in the future.
In terms of education for our students, we plan to include the topic in our advisory lessons in both middle school and high school and are looking into further channels we can use to ensure our students understand the dangers of vaping. We are asking for you help as well.
If you have any questions about e-cigarettes or vaping please reach out to our counselors. They will offer guidance around how to discuss the topic with your child as well as ideas for helping students who might be struggling with this.
The following are the consequences associated with using or possessing E-cigarettes at SAS.
Middle School
- Three-day suspension
- Three month travel ban from any representative activity
High School
- One-day suspension
- Loss of Interim Semester travel privilege
- One month travel ban from any representative activity
- Added to the student's permanent transcript and will be reported to a university if asked
- Loss of honor society membership
Thank you for you help.
Dr. Chip Kimball
Superintendent
from Singapore American School https://ift.tt/2AEZ6mc
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