We, the undersigned parents, guardians, and community members of Corning–Painted Post High School, are urgently calling on the district to take stronger, more visible action against student vaping, especially vapes that may be laced with fentanyl or other dangerous drugs. Recent incidents in our region and across New York have shown that a single inhale from a laced vape can cause a student to collapse and require multiple doses of Narcan to survive.[1][2][3][4]

In a community already affected by the opioid crisis, Steuben County has expanded Narcan training and equipped schools, including Corning–Painted Post, with overdose‑reversing medication because overdose is a real and present risk.[5][6][7][8] Yet many parents see stricter enforcement around cell phones than around vaping, even though vapes—particularly laced vapes—pose an immediate threat to students' lives and health.[9][10]

What We're Asking For

By signing this petition, we ask the Corning–Painted Post School District to:

1. Enforce vaping policies at least as strongly and consistently as cell phone rules.
   - Review and update high school vaping and substance‑use policies so that enforcement is robust and visible.[9][10]
   - Clearly define and communicate consequences for possession, use, and distribution of vapes or cartridges.

2. Increase supervision and detection efforts in high‑risk areas of the school.
   - Increase monitoring in restrooms, hallways, and other common areas where vaping is known to occur.[10]
   - Consider tools such as vape detectors where appropriate.

3. Expand education for students and parents about the dangers of vaping and laced vapes.
   - Provide age‑appropriate, evidence‑based education for high school students on the health risks of vaping, including the specific dangers of laced or counterfeit vapes that may contain fentanyl or other synthetic drugs.[9][11][1][12]
   - Offer parents clear information about current trends at the high school level, warning signs, and how to talk with teens about vaping and substance use.[11][8][13]

4. Deepen collaboration with public health and law enforcement to identify and remove dangerous products from our community.
   - Work closely with local law enforcement and public health agencies to track incidents involving vapes, identify sources of dangerous products, and communicate timely warnings to high school families.[1][12][14][8]

 

Why This Matters

There was a recent overdose connected to laced vapes in our high school community. This is not a distant threat—it is happening here, in Corning. Students are unknowingly exposing themselves to life‑threatening substances, and one single inhale can cause collapse, loss of consciousness, and the need for emergency medical intervention.

Steuben County has recognized this crisis by training schools in the use of Narcan and providing overdose‑reversing medication on campus. If our schools are equipped with Narcan, it means the threat is real and established. We ask that school policies and enforcement reflect this reality.

We support the detailed requests in the accompanying full letter and urge the Corning–Painted Post School District to act immediately to protect our students.

Sources

[1] Dryden Student Overdoses on Tainted Vape. Finger Lakes Daily News. https://www.fingerlakesdailynews.com/local/yates-schuyler-steuben-tompkins/dryden-student-overdoses-on-tainted-vape/

[2] Report: Student collapses after inhaling fentanyl-laced vape in Tompkins County BOCES Dryden School. CNY Central. May 15, 2025. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/report-student-collapses-after-inhaling-fentanyl-laced-vape-in-tompkins-county-boces-dryden-sc

[3] Student in Tompkins County collapses after using vape laced with fentanyl. My Hometown Today. May 18, 2025. https://www.myhometowntoday.com/news/regional-news/owego-bing/tioga-county/student-in-tompkins-county-collapses-after-using-vape

[4] THC vape pen with fentanyl warning to Parents: What you need to know. Yahoo News. May 16, 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/news/thc-vape-pen-fentanyl-warning-233138372.html

[5] Steuben County is training schools on using Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose. WSKG News. April 17, 2024. https://www.wskg.org/news/2024-04-17/steuben-county-is-training-schools-on-using-narcan-which-can-reverse-an-opioid-overdose

[6] Steuben County Overdose Dashboard. ArcGIS Online. October 7, 2025. https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/c07cde2fe5a043479e41c7eb50063e70

[7] Opioid Overdose Prevention. Steuben County, NY. https://www.steubencountyny.gov/696/Opioid-Overdose-Prevention

[8] Steuben County Health Department saw 20 overdoses in December. CNY Central. January 14, 2025. https://cnycentral.com/news/local/od-fatal-overdose-health

[9] Student Vaping Still a Health and Safety Issue in Schools. National Education Association (NEA). September 17, 2024. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/student-vaping-still-health-and-safety-issue-schools

[10] Schools crack down on vaping as new school year gets underway. ABC News. September 16, 2025. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/schools-crack-vaping-new-school-year-gets-underway/story?id=124448025

[11] Vaping Toolkit. Kane County Health Department. December 16, 2025. https://www.kanehealth.com/vaping-toolkit

[12] Vape Pens Test Positive for Dangerous Substances. Douglas County Sheriff's Office. March 25, 2025. https://sheriff.douglascountynv.gov/news/what_s_new/vape_pens_test_positive_for_dangerous_substances

[13] Steuben County Hope. https://steubenhope.org

[14] NY Student Saved By Narcan After Inhaling Fentanyl Laced Vape. Hudson Valley Country. May 19, 2025. https://hudsonvalleycountry.com/ny-student-vape-warning/