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Toilets replaced at Harford County school after staff says students flushed vaping devices

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Ashley Paul
Ashley Paul
Ashley Paul joined the WJZ team in December 2024 as a reporter, and could not be happier to call Charm City home! Ashley has told stories all across the country, including in Maine, Central Pennsylvania and Tampa, where she won a Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists award in the "Multi-Media Journalist In a Large Market" category.
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Ashley Paul

/ CBS Baltimore

Some Harford County students could soon be on the hook for hundreds of dollars for trying to flush vapes down toilets. 

Four toilets at Bel Air High School needed to be replaced within the past month after students flushed vaping devices down them.

"I guess they're doing it because they're not supposed to be vaping to begin with," said Harford County resident Sue Maddox. "And if they're vaping, they're trying to get rid of the proof."

Each toilet costs the school $200.

At one point, according to the district, every single bathroom in the school had a toilet that was out of order.

"It's frustrating, yes," said Megan Murray, from Bel Air. "At the same time, kids are kids, and they're just going to learn the hard way, unfortunately."

Crackdown on vaping devices at schools

Students at Bel Air High School are now learning that flushing a vape down the toilet will land them in more trouble.

"I just think that the vape thing has been a huge epidemic type deal," Murray said. "Kids are getting it a lot easier than they used to, and having three little ones, I worry about that."

The Harford County Public School System told WJZ that metal detecting wands will be used to screen for vaping devices.

The district stated, "Due to the frequency and severity of the issue, the School Safety Liaison began using a metal detecting wand to screen students for vaping devices as an interim measure in an effort to address this growing problem."

The district said students will be responsible for paying for the damages if they are caught. They are urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of vaping and destroying school property.

"If it wasn't vapes, it would probably be something else, so I try to factor that in," Maddox said.

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