The restrooms aren't getting any better

Art by Ket Gill

“Whether a toilet or soap is missing, a fire extinguisher is in a urinal, or there is a crowd of students vaping, the restrooms are a vicious disease at our school with new symptoms popping up every day.” I said that six months ago about the restrooms in response to the controversial new policies put in place to try to fix the vaping problem. But what’s changed? The strictly enforced restroom policy came and went, with most restrooms being open the first 15 and last 15 minutes of class, it's clear the policies have been getting laxer. The policing of the restrooms had already barely been enforced due to lack of personnel, and it has only gotten less effective.

The restroom situation has not changed, and neither have the challenges in enforcing it. We are still understaffed, especially for the boys restroom, as there are not enough male staff members to police the restrooms, leading to female staff members having to police them, but are not able to effectively implement the policy as they can not enter the restroom. Unfortunately, even as enforcement has lessened, the effects of vaping in the restroom haven’t gotten any less detrimental. However, it is important to note that the effects of secondhand smoke/vape are seen in children spending a better part of their lives exposed to some, not just a couple minutes in the restroom. With that being said, it is still unhealthy, with many carcinogens in the smoke, like benzene, and the students who are vaping are destroying their lungs. Better enforcement of the policy could maybe help them quit or at least discourage new vapers. 

The bigger problem is that the restrooms being full of vape affects people with asthma and other respiratory problems, significantly increasing the likelihood of an asthma attack. It can even cause problems for students without such issues, as people who don’t vape are more affected by the chemicals present in the vape aerosol; I've heard from a lot of students that a lot of vape in the air can be nauseating, not to mention people filling up the restroom unnecessarily to vape. People just trying to use the restroom should not have to put up with it.

While the importance of solving this issue doesn’t change the logistical difficulties in stopping it, it’s not like we’re going to create a vaping area or get funds from LAUSD for more school resource officers, there are still solutions that we must work towards. One such solution would be purchasing and installing vape detectors in all the restrooms. From some limited research, these detectors look for particles in the air only produced by vaping, and are very effective. This would allow both our limited staff to effectively enforce the vaping policy, while keeping restrooms open. While this is not the only solution, and there are plenty of potential issues with my proposed solution, it’s the administration, LAUSD, the school board, and even the state’s responsibility to create and fund a policy. It is our job however, as students, parents, or teachers, to be vocal of our continued desire to reduce vaping in the restroom to the school, LAUSD, our LAUSD board representative, and even our state representatives.