HILLSBOROUGH - Possession of vaping and electronic cigarettes by students will be seen as "suspicion of being under the influence of drugs" under new school policy adopted by the Board of Education.

The new policy, unanimously approved by the board on Dec. 18, covers students attending the high school, middle school, and Auten Road Intermediate School, which serves students in fifth and sixth grades.

The new policy, which will go into effect when students return after winter recess on Jan. 2, takes a more aggressive stance against vaping, similar to policies announced earlier this fall in the Bernards and Bridgewater-Raritan school districtd.

Based on the updated code of conduct,Hillsborough High School students who are now found in possession of tobacco products — including electronic smoking devices or their cartridges, oils, waxes, components — or are found smoking or vaping while on school grounds will be subject to to a three-day in-school suspension.

“In recent months the prevalence of electronic smoking devices and the brazenness with which students are using these in the building have increased exponentially due to ease of accessibility and less noticeable odors or smoke,” Karen Bingert, principal of Hillsborough High School, said in a statement. “The updates to the board policy and code of conduct are important, preventative steps to dissuade students from engaging in unhealthy behaviors at school with the goal of encouraging Hillsborough’s youth to make decisions that are in their best interests.”

Also, where permissible by statute, students found with the vaping devices "will have a complaint filed against them with the municipal court," according to a news release sent out by the district. "Violators are also subject to incremental fines based on the number of offenses."

The changes were made to the student code of conduct for Hillsborough High School, Hillsborough Middle School and Auten Road Intermediate School.

"The contents of an electronic smoking device are not easily identified and can range from tobacco to a controlled dangerous substance," the district said in its release. "Because of this, students found in possession of an electronic smoking device or its components will be considered under suspicion of being under the influence of drugs while at school as would any student in possession of anything that would constitute drug paraphernalia."

Under the code of conduct, if a student is found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia, the school will contact a parent or guardian, who then must immediately take the student for a drug screen and physician’s clearance.

A positive drug screen or verified possession of drugs or alcohol will result in additional days of in-school suspension — five total days for first offense and 10 total days for each subsequent offense. The student will also have to attend five mandatory drug counseling sessions with a district Student Assistance Counselor (SAC) and will be ineligible to participate in all school activities, including senior parking, for a minimum of 30 days and pending completion of the required sessions with the SAC.

Although Auten Road Intermediate School has had no instances involving electronic cigarettes, the school is taking "some age-appropriate steps to address the increasing prevalence and popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping devices​," the school's principal, Christopher Carey, said in a news release.

Auten Road is changing a line in its Major Violations to Avoid​ section in the school's Student/Parent Handbook to include e-cigarettes and personal vaporizers. The line will now read, “Possession, distribution or use of any illegal substance, drug, alcohol, tobacco, or substance that imitates an illegal substance, drug, or alcohol. Possession of or use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, personal vaporizers​, lighters, matches, or any paraphernalia.”

Hillsborough Middle School, in coordination with Hillsborough High School, updated its policies and practices with regard to this issue for its students, according to a letter sent by Principal Joseph Trybukski.

He noted state statues forbidding smoking on school premises and pointed out that the statue defines smoking as the "burning of, inhaling of, exhaling the smoke from, or the possession of a lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or any other matter or substance which contains tobacco or any other matter that can be smoked, or the inhaling or exhaling of smoke or vapor from an electronic smoking device​."

"In essence, these statutes indicate that smoking in the more traditional sense of cigarettes or inhaling smoke/vapor from an electronic smoking device is not permitted by anyone, regardless of age, on school grounds or within the school building," Trybulski said. "Electronic cigarettes or other vapor-based devices serve the same unhealthy purpose, which is to introduce nicotine and other inhaled products into the body. Moveover, these electronic smoking devices can be altered and then used to inhale illicit drugs, such as THC/marijuana and synthetic drugs that are often manufactured with chemicals that pose significant safety threats to those who inhale them."

Working collaboratively, the Hillsborough Board of Education, Hillsborough Township Police Department, municipal government, Hillsborough and Millstone Municipal Alliance, district Life Skills program and school and district administrators "agree that the risky behaviors that our students may be experimenting with must be curbed with the all the resources that are available to us," the news release said.

Hillsborough Township Public Schools will conduct an information night on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018 at 7 p.m. in the Hillsborough High School auditorium. The evening will focus on electronic smoking devices and other things to be on the lookout for to help keep Hillsborough’s children drug-free.

Hillsborough's policy changes reflect similar changes made by other Somerset County school districts.

In November, Bernards Township Public School District announced that it will be cracking down on vaping and electronic cigarettes by treating the devices as drug paraphernalia.

A public meeting was held for parents at William Annin Middle School on Nov. 15 where district officials and members of the township police department gave a presentation "on the risks of vaping," according to a letter sent out by Superintendent Nick Markarian.

"In addition to education efforts, we are also seeking to adjust board policies to make it more clear that vaping devices are being handled as drug paraphernalia," he said in his letter. "Students who are found to be in possession of vaping devices will experience drug screening, counseling and discipline."

Bridgewater-Raritan High School has a "zero-tolerance" policy for vaping and e-cigarettes, Principal Mark Morrell wrote in a letter to parents this month.

Any student found in possession of these trendy devices on the sprawling Garretson Road campus will be suspended for three days, Morrell said in his letter.

Any device confiscated by the school district will be turned over to the Bridgewater Police Department for testing. If the test discovers a positive test for marijuana or any other "dangerous" substance, the student will be suspended for 10 days and will be required to meet with a student assistance counselor.

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com