Schools ban clove cigarettes

 

The Charlotte County School District is cracking down on clove cigarettes after complaints were filed about students smoking them on school grounds.

The Indonesian cigarettes were banned by the school district Tuesday afternoon and school board spokesman Mike Riley is happy with the decision.

"As you see on the side of the pack, the Surgeon General says these things are dangerous to your health. We're trying to instill good health habits in the children and let them know this is not a good thing for them. It’s something that we wanted to do right away," said Riley.

The clove cigarettes have recently become popular with high school students because the district’s previous rule only banned tobacco. Students thought they could get away with smoking the cloves because they are made from an aromatic spice.

But Steve Dionisio, Port Charlotte High School Principal, says he does not want the cloves anywhere near his campus.

"It’s dangerous, from my perspective, in that it has got some guy surfing. It’s cool to smoke. This is what these are saying and that's a bad thing," said Dionisio.

While the cigarettes are made from a common spice, Gail Buck, the district's head nurse, explained cloves are anything but healthy.

"They actually think that these are an herbal product and that it's a healthy alternative. Its just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, as the American product," said Buck.

Students caught smoking cloves on school grounds will now face punishment for their actions.