A ninth-grade student at Mays High School in Atlanta was rushed to the hospital after a medical emergency that school officials say happened after the teen reportedly used a vape pen in a school bathroom. The student became unconscious after taking a hit from the device, and the school nurse called 911 as staff scrambled to respond.
Grady dispatched an ambulance to the school, but according to FOX 5 Atlanta, the student's parents opted to drive the teen to the hospital themselves rather than wait for the ambulance crew. School officials say the student is now recovering from the medical emergency, though they have not released details about the student's symptoms or what substance may have been in the vape pen.
School Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Stance
In the wake of the incident, officials emphasized the district's zero-tolerance policy for drug paraphernalia, which covers vapes and tobacco products alike, the station's report notes. Students found in possession of prohibited substances or items face disciplinary action under that policy, though it remains unclear whether any such action followed this specific case.
The episode lands amid a broader reckoning over vaping inside Georgia's classrooms. Nearly 18,000 students across the state were caught vaping last year, according to WGAU, and Georgia Department of Education Deputy Superintendent Justin Hill has said the real number of students who vape could be far higher — “At least 25,000, but I would say it's probably 30,000,” he said.
A Statewide Pattern Educators Say Is Shifting
High schoolers made up 65% of the state's reported vaping cases last year, with middle schoolers accounting for another 29%, per the same WGAU report, which also found more than 20,000 total vaping incidents statewide — half of them ending in out-of-school suspension. Officials cited in that report also warned that the products themselves are evolving, with some vapes now containing added protein or built to resemble everyday objects like pagers.
Some Georgia districts have responded by investing thousands of dollars in vape-detection technology, while the state education department awarded $150,000 in grants this year to fund local prevention programs, according to the WGAU report. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has separately reported that Georgia schools are struggling to keep pace with a surge of disposable vaping devices, which the paper describes as the go-to option among an estimated 1 million U.S. middle and high school students who vape, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
No further details about the Mays High School student's condition, the contents of the vape pen, or any disciplinary follow-up have been made public. The school has not said whether additional safety measures are planned in response to the incident.
