We have had more than 40 incidents of students who have been caught with either THC or nicotine vapes since school started. I do have concern about the amount of THC and nicotine vaping that we have seen on campus in the last few weeks. Parents, please talk with your students about the dangers of THC / vaping on the developing brain. 1. According to Mr. Michael DeLeon, a nationally respected and known speaker, researcher, and filmmaker on this topic, Alcohol, Nicotine, and THC use prior to the age of 18 are precursors to heavy drug use and abuse. Not everyone who uses these products will become an addict, but in Mr. DeLeon's research, 100% of addicts he has spoken with have used these three substances prior to age 18. 2. Vaping is rampant and widespread nationally among young people. Parents and students, this is not an issue that is unique to Casa Grande or to Arizona but is a nationwide issue. We need your help. Please talk with your children about these products and help us to help our students kick them to the curb. The absolute best way for our kids to stop this from happening is to not use them at all. One Juul pod, the number one nicotine vape in America, is the equivalent to the nicotine in 20 cigarettes. An Elfbar 5000 contains the amount of nicotine equivalent to 400 cigarettes (we are seeing more and more of these). The majority of THC products that we confiscate on campus are "black market", meaning that they come from unregulated, non-scientific labs whose only objective is to hook and harm our children. Here is a resource to help guide that conversation