MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — "It's 6 o’clock in the morning and when I go in the bathroom, it's like 30 people in there vaping, they're tweaking," recent grad Jayden Thomas said.
More kids are becoming addicted to nicotine, with school districts like Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reporting 758 documented incidents of use of a vaping device last school year.
Some students say that number may not include the many kids who vape in hideaway spots.
"Most of the hidden spots are like the bathrooms or locker rooms," student Josiah More said.
Vaping is an issue state and local leaders are working to tackle, with Mecklenburg County public health leaders assessing 228 local tobacco retailers to find solutions.
"The results of that assessment showed some alarming things ... one being that 70% of our tobacco retailers are within a half-mile radius of our schools," Mecklenburg County Assistant Health Director Kimberly Scott said.
"It's easy to get," Thomas said. "You can just go to the gas station and get a vape."
County leaders say online sales are also helping drive the addiction, which is encouraging them to take a multi-layered approach.
"This has been a disturbing upward trend and we're hoping we can through our efforts reverse some of those trends," Scott said.
Scott discussed some initiatives that are geared toward helping young people quit vaping through support and resources.
This is Quitting is one initiative that has expanded within North Carolina, including Mecklenburg County. A second initiative called Quit the Hit is an Instagram-based campaign that focuses on youth cessation resources for teenagers.
As local leaders continue to find creative ways to help teens, some are optimistic vaping trends will shift gears.
"They don’t want to vape -- it's just they can't stop," Thomas said.
Along with tackling youth engagement with vaping, next month Mecklenburg County public health leaders are also launching a tobacco coalition hoping to educate about tobacco and its impact on underserved communities.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.