BILL NUMBER: S8823

SPONSOR: FERNANDEZ
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to requiring the installation of vaping detectors in certain
schools

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To protect our children, this bill will require all New York City public
schools with a student enrollment of one thousand or more to install
vape detectors within the school.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill amends the administrative code of the city of New
York by adding a new section, § 21-970. The new section, § 21-970
provides the following: a) Definitions: 1) Vaping 2) Vaping detector b)
Criteria requiring school to install vape detectors c) Requires the New
York City Department of Education to set disciplinary measures
              

Section 2 of the bill sets the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Within the past year, the number of children that started using vapes
has nearly tripled. The use of these vapes has shown us how dangerous
vaping can be due to the increased cases of children having problems
breathing, and in the worst-case scenarios, children dying. Anything
that results in an unnatural death is something that should be scruti-
nized and handled in an appropriate manner. When an adult or a child
vapes, it may affect the use of his or her ability to inhale an adequate
amount of air.

Before a child hits puberty there is an organ called the Thymus located
between the lungs. This organ is an essential part of the immune system,
it is important to the body as a whole. The Thymus is the organ that
creates the T-cells that help fight off infections, virus, and diseases
within the human body. However, after a child hits puberty which can be
as early as 9 years old, and in some cases even earlier, the Thymus no
longer produces this type of cell anymore, in fact, over time the Thymus
is replaced by fatty tissues.  Although the Thymus is no longer func-
tional after a person hits puberty, it still manages to do its job, but
if a child is smoking then the Thymus is being forced to retire early.
Putting vape detectors in school, along with proper education on why
vaping is not good for children or for anyone for that matter, will help
decrease the increasing number of children that are using vapes on
school grounds.

Medical research has proven children are still likely to develop side
effects from vaping even in their adult years, after years of quitting
due to the lack of produced T-cells within their body.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.