COLORADO — Letisha Bural knew when she became a parent she’d deal with challenges once her kids grew into teenagers.
“I was mad, I was upset, I was mad, she's smarter than that,” Bural said, she moved her family to the Springs about three years ago.
While she anticipated these challenges, she hoped she would never have to talk to her daughter about something like vaping.
“It's my worst nightmare,” Bural said, “That's the one thing I've always prayed about, that my daughter never started smoking.”
As concern mounts over teens getting ahold of vaping devices throughout the state, leaders across the state and in schools are looking at solutions.
Pueblo among the latest cities to announce they’re examining a raise in purchasing age to 21 for nicotine products.
For some parents like Bural in southern Colorado and beyond, they say they’re ready to see more action taken as teens are getting ahold of the devices.
Bural says one of her biggest concerns is she doesn’t know where her daughter and other teens are getting ahold of vaping devices and cigarettes.
“Nobody knows what’s in those vapes, nobody knows what kind of cigarette you’re really buying, nobody knows,” Bural said.
There’s also concern for Bural with teens vaping near schools, and sometimes inside them.
Some school districts, now looking at other solutions. One of those solutions includes vape detection devices - which can be installed in bathrooms. It’s a challenge school districts of all sizes are finding they’re not immune to.
In rural Crowley County, Principal Brandon Roe faced a challenge in September when he learned members of the volleyball team were vaping on school property.
“I think we're seeing some things come to light of how severe it is and how many kids are actually participating in it.” Roe said.
The principal along with other athletic leaders ultimately decided to cancel the team’s game against Rocky Ford as a punishment for nobody coming forward.
Roe believes all school districts in the state have to figure out what consequences work best for their students and go from there.
With detection devices coming at a cost of about $900, Roe says it’s not likely they’ll invest in something of the sort. However, they are looking at other programs for students to learn more about the impacts of vaping.
