Student speakers and community partners told the Abington School Board on Wednesday that vaping and substance use remain a visible problem at Abington Senior High School and urged more prevention and outreach.

“Every time I'm going into a bathroom, you're gonna see, like, 3 or 4 kids in one of the large stalls vaping,” said Abington Senior High student Dominic Jones during public comment. Jones said the presence of nicotine and THC vapes persists despite a district vape buyback program and that the behavior creates health problems for students with asthma.

Doreesh Joyner of Montgomery County Family Services and other local advocates said they are coordinating outreach and guest speakers, including plans to invite a county assistant district attorney for a presentation, and to continue organizing awareness activities. “I think it is very important to touch on the impact that it's having on our community,” Joyner said.

Superintendent Dr. Fetcher thanked the students for speaking and said the district values student voice. District staff said they have conducted buyback events and work with pupil services, school counselors and security staff to address availability and use. Presenters noted that prevention programming (health classes, assemblies such as NAMI’s “Ending the Silence,” Question, Persuade, Refer suicide-prevention training, and Minding Your Mind) were delivered this year, but students said more is needed to reduce on-campus vaping and to limit youth access through community sources.

Students and advocates requested expanded enforcement, more community outreach to cut off supply sources, and additional in-school prevention programming. District officials said they would continue to work with students, counseling teams and community partners to expand prevention, enforcement and educational outreach ahead of next school year.