By Chris Post / Editor-In-Chief

Marshall Public Schools will bring back Red Ribbon Week Oct. 26–29 after incidents involving THC vapes sent students to the hospital, Superintendent Caleb Pettit told the Board of Education Oct. 13.

Pettit said the district has experienced several incidents in recent years, including one relatively recently. He described students sharing vaping devices containing THC, the intoxicating ingredient in marijuana, and then requiring ambulance transport.

He said the district is seeing concerns involving vaping and THC at the middle school as well.

The districtwide awareness week will focus on educating students about substance use and the risks associated with what they may be ingesting.

Pettit said the effort would not solve the problem on its own, but he hopes additional education can prevent incidents.

“We want to increase our proactive education of what these kids are ingesting and exposing themselves to,” Pettit said.

He also urged parents and other adults to prevent children from gaining access to THC products. A device brought to school can be shared with other students, extending the risk beyond the child who initially obtained it, he said.

“Don’t think they’re going to take it to school and keep it to themselves,” Pettit said. “They’re going to expose others.”

Pettit described the incidents as more frequent than in the past. He did not provide a count, dates or the number of students hospitalized during his report.

Specific activities planned for Red Ribbon Week were not outlined at the meeting.