Vaping in Long Island schools has become a concerning trend since marijuana legalization, educators say

Valley Stream Central High School student Jemeilia Russell said there have been times when she has walked into a school bathroom and smelled marijuana. She's also seen students vaping in stalls.

“Sometimes I do get scared when I go into a bathroom and it smells so thick of drugs in there that I’m going to go home and my mom is going to say, 'Why do you smell like weed?' ” said the senior, who noted the situation has improved in the past academic year.

Educators and addiction experts across Long Island say that with the legalization of marijuana, vaping among adolescents has become a concerning trend. The problem, which one educator likened to an “epidemic,” has led some schools to install vape-detection systems, while others have stepped up efforts to educate students on the dangers of substance abuse and to provide counseling to students caught with a controlled substance. 

“There has definitely been an increase in issues with vaping devices, both with nicotine and an increase in cannabis," said Bob Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association. "And since the legalization of recreational use of marijuana-type products, we've seen issues not just with cannabis and vape devices, but gummies."

Earlier this year, more than a dozen middle school students in the William Floyd school district fell ill and were hospitalized in two incidents after ingesting marijuana gummies, according to police. In both cases, police arrested and charged individuals with allegedly selling the gummies to the minors. 

State data shows there was a 35% increase in the number of drug possession cases at Island schools in 2023-24 compared with a decade prior. At the same time, schools saw a dramatic decline in cases of alcohol possession, from 236 in 2013-14 to 89 in 2023-24. 

There were 954 instances of drug possession reported Islandwide in 2023-24, compared with 708 instances reported in 2013-14, state data shows. The cases are not broken down by substance, but state Education Department spokesperson Rachel Connors said in an email that vapes containing marijuana are included in the data. Nicotine is not counted.

State-licensed facilities began selling marijuana gummies and other edibles in New York in 2022. While some mental health experts believe officials need to crack down on illicit stores selling cannabis, students and at least one expert told Newsday young people often obtain marijuana products from peers who have connections to dealers or distribute the substances themselves.

Another factor may be the introduction of flavored marijuana, according to a 2024 national survey by the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

The federally funded Monitoring the Future survey and accompanying releases show while overall drug use among adolescents declined last year, vaping of flavored marijuana has become more common. 

“Only in recent years has cannabis been available to youth in flavors, such as mint, mango and chocolate. [The] flavors are appealing to youth, and it's possible these flavors could recruit new youth to cannabis use who otherwise would not have used cannabis,” Richard Miech, the study's principal investigator, said in an email.

From 2021 to 2024, the percentage of eighth graders who had vaped flavored weed in the past 12 months increased from 2% to 4%. In 10th grade, those numbers increased from 5% to 6%, while 12th graders saw those figures rise from 7% to 9% in 2024, Miech said, noting these figures are “statistically significant.”

Dafny Irizarry, president of the Long Island Latino Teachers Association, said she has heard from more educators about an increase in vaping in schools — though she wasn't certain if it involved nicotine or cannabis.

“The use of vaping has been a challenge," she said. "Educators are concerned with the presence of vapes in schools and outside of schools."

Mental health concerns

Some mental health experts told Newsday one factor that could explain why more kids are turning to vapes and cannabis is a rise in the number of young people dealing with mental health issues.

Heather Hugelmeyer, senior director for addiction services at Northwell Zucker Hillside Hospital in Queens, said in an interview, “Now pretty much every kid who comes into the program has some mental health issue — depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm. These are the things that you see in almost every adolescent who comes into treatment."

She said young people may be "utilizing these substances as coping mechanisms for some of these underlying mental health issues...They learned that this makes me feel less anxious, I'm a little bit more sociable like this, it helps me to relax, I don't think about certain things or I'm not so depressed when I'm high."

Hugelmeyer said students caught with illegal substances at school might need additional intervention. 

“If somebody's bringing substances into the school and utilizing [them] during the school day, that shows that you're at a level that some sort of intervention is needed. This is likely not somebody who's, ‘Hey, I'm just experimenting with this for the first time,’ ” she said.

Jeffrey Reynolds, president and chief executive of Garden City-based Family & Children's Association, said his organization is not only seeing younger people vaping and using cannabis, but they are also finding that such use is quickly spiraling into a compulsion.

“We are seeing more young people both vaping and using cannabis, sometimes in concert, sometimes vaping THC-based products,” Reynolds said. “We are seeing young people who are 11, 12 and 13 being introduced to vaping either by their peers in school or older siblings."

He added while young people might start vaping occasionally, “in a very short amount of time it morphs into doing it daily. And then within months, they literally can't get through the school day without either a hit of nicotine or THC, or sometimes both.”

Experts also noted since marijuana was legalized in the state in 2021 for people over age 21, some school-age students might have trouble understanding why it's not safe for them. 

Mental health experts said parents may be normalizing it by openly consuming it and by failing to have clear conversations with their children about the dangers.

“They [young people] believe, well, it's not anything dangerous or concerning because it's legal,” said Carolyn Wash, substance abuse clinical director at South Shore Guidance Center in Freeport.

Cannabis use can have "permanent effects" on teens' brains, which are still developing, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teens who use cannabis can have trouble thinking and problem-solving and experience memory problems, and are more at risk of becoming addicted, the CDC said.

School response

Arielle Ellis, 14, a sophomore at a high school in Suffolk County, said she often feels out of place among her peers. 

"A lot of people in this school vape and I see a lot who say, 'I'm so high right now and they're not joking. ... How do they access stuff like that at a such a young age?" she said.

Irizzary, of the Long Island Latino Teachers Association, also questioned how cannabis and nicotine are winding up in the hands of students and whether enough resources are being deployed to teach students about how and why these substances are harmful for youth. 

“Are we exposing students to enough educational experience so they can understand the harms and risks of what happens to the body when they engage with these products? We have health classes, but is that enough?" she said.

The Valley Stream Central High School District reported 62 cases of drug possession in 2023-24, more than any other Island district. Superintendent Wayne Loper said most of the cases were cannabis-related.

“We attribute the relatively high number of incidents to two primary factors: our district's strict enforcement policies and proliferation of easy-to-conceal THC vape products," he said. Students found with drugs are suspended, he said.

"We also employ our district's restorative practices model. Through counseling, we work to help students understand the harm that substance use can cause to themselves and their community,” Loper said in a statement.

He added the district teams with mental health and addiction experts to raise awareness about the dangers of substance use and abuse.

Brentwood reported 56 drug possession cases in 2023-24, the second-highest of any district on the Island.

Brentwood High sophomore Jireh Chauca said when she enters a school bathroom, the lingering smell of marijuana hits her nose.

The distinctive odor sometimes persists in classrooms and in locker rooms, she said. 

“Normally when I walk into a bathroom or classroom it already smells like weed," Chauca, 16, said. "It smells really strong."

Superintendent Wanda Ortiz-Rivera noted Brentwood is the largest suburban school district in New York State, serving more than 18,000 students.

“Over the past 11 years, Brentwood has served nearly 200,000 students while recording approximately 0.11% drug possession incidents and 0.01% alcohol possession incidents, rates significantly lower than statewide averages and below or aligned with Long Island averages," Ortiz-Rivera said in a statement. "These consistently low percentages highlight the strength of Brentwood’s proactive prevention model, which emphasizes a whole-child approach to education, embedded social-emotional learning, robust mental health supports and strong partnerships with families and community organizations."

Vecchio, of the school boards association, said some schools will refer students who are suffering from substance abuse disorders or need treatment for accompanying mental health issues to outside counselors.

'Deeply concerning' trend

In addition to coordinating with community groups focused on "prevention and intervention," Longwood schools  Superintendent Lance Lohman said in a statement the district is working with local officials to crack down on unlicensed retailers targeting youth and the marketing of THC products.

The Suffolk County district reported 46 drug possession cases in 2023-24.

The use of cannabis and vaping in schools is a statewide issue, Lohman said, noting school districts face "significant challenges ... regarding student access to cannabis products in recent years. Most incidents involve vaping devices deliberately marketed to young people."

Roberta A. Gerold, superintendent of the Middle Country Central school district, said marijuana is the most common substance found in students' possession, usually as a CBD or THC product. It is usually vaped, she said in a statement.

“This trend is deeply concerning, not only for the health and safety of our students but also for their academic and emotional development," Gerold said. 

The district reported 38 cases of drug possession in the 2023-24 school year.

Gerold said when a student is found with drugs or alcohol, two social workers who are also certified drug and alcohol counselors are on hand.

"As part of our disciplinary process, students have the opportunity to reduce their suspension period if they agree to engage in counseling, either with our in-house staff or with a licensed private counselor,” she said.

But Gerold worried that, with the legalization of marijuana, educators are facing an uphill battle.

"What was once a clearer conversation about illegal substances has become clouded by misinformation and misconceptions about safety, particularly among young people,” she said.

And, she and others noted, the problem is not unique to Long Island.

“We are facing an epidemic that extends far beyond the walls of our schools," she said. "It is affecting communities across our nation."

Newsday's Michael R. Ebert contributed to this story.