Bathrooms are not meant for vaping, and people need to stop utilizing them like that. 

At Manhattan High there are many occasions I personally have encountered girls vaping in the bathrooms, as well as I’ve heard from other students and friends about it happening to them. But when most people make their SmartPass and go to the restroom, they’re actually wanting to do their business. It’s really bothersome for a lot of people to go in there and see (typically) groups of girls in one stall and an obvious cloud floating to the ceiling.

In some cases it can be very awkward or uncomfortable for those who walk in on multiple girls doing drugs. If that’s their choice, I’m not one to discriminate, it’s their body, their decision. It only becomes a place to voice an opinion when it starts affecting other people’s day. Despite the fact that vaping and drugs are illegal underage, it can cause inconveniences for others. 

In certain situations where there are many people in the restroom doing drugs, it causes a wait time for those wanting to use the restroom. I don’t know why people vape in groups or in the same stall but it takes up room and it’s not an environment most would choose to be in. 

At the freshmen center there is a bathroom that everyone knows it as the “drug/fighting” bathroom. It has a reputation that we’ve given it, and some people don’t use it literally because they’re afraid of it or because it’s not the crowd they would choose to be in. No one would purposely go into a restroom where they knew fighting and drug use occurs. It’s really sad that is the generation we live in, and that now the teens of our day normalize illegal drug use. 

Students actively doing drugs in the bathroom is uncomfortable and distasteful. If anyone sees this happening please don’t normalize it. Everyone should be aware of this problem because it starts to affect other students at MHS. If the students and staff help our administrators become more aware of this, we could make a difference. SmartPass isn’t cutting it, due to the fact that some students will purposely not make a pass just so that teachers don’t know they’re doing drugs. And lastly, please, don’t participate.