BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Last month, the U.S surgeon general said e-cigarette use among teenagers nationwide has hit epidemic proportions. Central Florida schools are also seeing the trend.
In Brevard County, the number of students suspended for tobacco possession has nearly tripled in one year.
It's a problem Brevard County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Kirk Gewiniger and his 3-year-old yellow Labrador retriever, Sonic, see daily while make the rounds at a different schools.
The K-9 pair search schools, from cafeteria to lockers, classrooms to restrooms. Sometimes Gewiniger and Sonic show up unexpectedly. Sometimes they do presentations about the consequences of having tobacco or drugs on campus. They're searching for e-cigarettes, tobacco products and illegal drugs.
"These are your Juuls and this is a THC pen," Gewiniger said while walking Sonic to their next location.
Sonic is friendly so students want to pet him, and he often detects THC on students, which can lead to a suspension or explusion.
Brevard County School officials said the use of the products among students has skyrocketed.
Matt Reed is assistant superintendent of communications.
"We're all of a sudden seeing a spike in vaping e-cigarettes, Juuls and in other forms of tobacco use," Reed said.
The proof is in the numbers. During the first quarter of last year, 40 students were suspended for tobacco possession. This year, that number jumped to 206 for the same time period, according to data from the school district.
District officials also said more students are filling their vape pens with THC oil, the ingredient in marijuana that creates a high.
First, it's a felony. Second, if caught with it, students can be expelled or transferred to alternative schools. It has happened to 60 students this school year alone.
"Well, I think students feel like it's easier to sneak in, you’re not creating smoke, so therefore, they think it's more subtle," Reed said. "But you can get caught, obviously."
Vaping is becoming more popular.
Nael Abraham, the owner of Ignite Smoke Shop in Cocoa, said business is booming, so much so that he's opening a second location.
"Vaping itself, it's the future," he said.
When asked if they always check for identification to verify if customers are 18. Abraham said "Of course."
However, even if smoke shops check IDs there are many other ways for kids to get vape pens and cartridges.
Just ask 19-year-old Anthony Mohan, who started vaping two years ago.
"You can go on eBay or you can go on Craigslist and someone's selling it secondhand," he said.
School administrators and law enforcement are cracking down on vaping in schools.
Gewiniger said it's not just him and Sonic. Most schools have school resource officers that are there daily.
Even getting caught with an empty vape device can earn students a $55 citation and a Saturday class. They could also lose their license.
Schools have issued hundreds of citations this year alone, Gewiniger said.
"Your best bet if you're a student is to leave it at home," Reed said.
Brevard County is not alone. Last year, Orange County Schools had 109 suspensions for tobacco possession.
This year already the district has had 123 tobacco related suspensions, with months still to go in the school year.
Last year Seminole County had 54 tobacco related suspensions last school year. To date, the district has 44.