Smoke signals: What’s really going on in the bathrooms?

The women’s bathroom at the Manteca High School fieldhouse, taken on April 11, 2025, was left dirty by students. (NORA HYSTED/The Tower) 

BY NORA HYSTAD & SOHAIL SAFI  
The Tower  

In today's high schools, a troubling trend hides behind closed doors and not just any doors, but the school bathrooms. 

While a bathroom visit is standard activity, in many schools it has become the place to vape and smoke. This habit isn't so much about rule-breaking, more so it is about how rapidly what seems so fun and harmless becomes a problem that negatively affects learning, school safety, and even the integrity of campus facilities. 

School staff across the country are indicating that students have found more and more inventive ways to use the restrooms not only for their intended use, but as a haven for vaping. Educators and administrators are noticing a trend. 

“When you see kids taking multiple trips to the bathroom throughout the day, not congregating with their usual groups, or even getting unusually silent once inside, you know something is up," campus monitor Anthony Nicastro said. 

In a formal survey by The Tower, 37 percent of students are comfortable using the Manteca High restrooms. Yet, 69 percent of students feel that the school is not taking steps to prevent students from vaping. Interestingly, 74 percent of students report that they have seen another student vape in the restroom, but only 13 percent of students say that they reported vaping to staff. 

School administrators have had a strict response. After a student is caught vaping or smoking on school property, they're taken to the vice principal’s office, where disciplinary measures are taken. 

However, the punishment is limited. 

In most cases, the punishment only delays the inevitable. As Megan Peterson, principal of Manteca High School, said “there are consequences in place, but they're not always enough to deter a habit that some students have been engaged in since they were very young." 

Another more serious consequence is its impact on the school's resources and facilities.  

There have been recent incidents where damage caused by undercover smoking sessions has led to severe destruction of the school bathroom facilities. In one incident, a complete section of restrooms was rendered useless, and only two were left operational on campus. 

This situation not only bothers students but also affects the overall school environment, requiring administrators to tackle the vaping problem head-on everywhere once again. 

More is at stake here than just broken rules. The vaping issue is disrupting classroom routines. Teachers in classrooms are finding that students waste valuable instructional minutes as they repeatedly visit the bathroom. 

The 60-wing bathroom at Manteca High School, taken on April 11, 2025, shows how the school's restrooms look when open. (MARIAH SANCHEZ/The Tower)

"Kids are missing out on valuable lessons because they're spending time in the bathrooms instead of the classroom," Nicastro said. 

This lost teaching time is a significant loss, and it affects both students and teachers. 

Furthermore, non-vaping students are indirectly affected by the actions of their peers. 

Some say they feel uneasy or intimidated going into certain bathrooms due to the smoke or the fact that these areas have become "smoking areas" for students.  

This habit also highlights social pressures seen in schools. Peer pressure, as big as it already is at the high school level, gets an added boost when a student who does not vape is left feeling alone or judged merely for having chosen to avoid the trend. 

School officials have been trying to fight back on several fronts. Better bathroom alarms, more monitoring of who goes to the bathrooms, and harsher punishment are some of the weapons used against the spread of vaping. 

By teaching students about the real dangers of vaping, from its short-term health consequences to long-term consequences such as breathing problems and premature death, schools hope to create an environment in which the choice to vape is not viewed as a silly act of defiance but as a serious risk. 

That means creating safe havens for talks about peer pressure and health and reminding them that there is no social standing in smoking. The hope is that through ongoing oversight, persistent discipline, and targeted efforts towards the problem, the culture will gradually shift from this growing trend of vaping to a healthier and more transparent atmosphere. 

In the meantime, each closed door and each missed class minute is a stern reminder of just how much is at stake.  

The fight to have a smoke-free campus isn't about enforcing rules; it's about protecting the future of the students, one locked restroom door at a time.  

Mariah Sanchez contributed to this report