Parents consider homeschooling as fentanyl-laced vapes appear again in Volusia County schools

DELTONA, Fla. - Authorities in Volusia County are investigating yet another incident of fentanyl-laced drugs in schools.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office just arrested a teenager they say ran off campus after he was caught vaping in a Deltona High School bathroom. Investigators say he left the vape behind, and they found it tested positive for both THC and fentanyl.

They showed up at the kid’s house to arrest him. 

This is just the latest instance of fentanyl showing up in a Volusia County school, and parents told FOX 35 News they’re getting more and more scared to send their kids to class. 

Kelli Ninche, whose son is a Freshman at Deltona High School, says she’s been thinking about pulling him from class and homeschooling him. 

"That’s probably not the best thing to do, because that’s the world they have to live in," considered Ninche. "It’s terrifying, to be honest." 

Ninche says she’d just spoken with her son about vapes recently.

"It’s definitely a subject I’m going to touch with him again on tonight, because they might think they’re just doing nicotine and then they have something else in it, like with fentanyl. For me, it’s scary." 

A 17-year-old student at a DeLand school just overdosed on fentanyl a couple of months ago. 

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says the boy thought he was buying cocaine, but it turned out to be laced with fentanyl. He was found dead in his home.

The teen who investigators say sold him the drugs was charged with Manslaughter this past Monday. 

That suspect is also accused of selling another student a vape laced with drugs that caused her to pass out in a bathroom at DeLand High back in July.

Zachary Martin is a Junior at DeLand High. He says this isn’t the first time he’s heard of something like this.

"You’re at such a young age, and you’re going to put an addictive, dangerous substance in your body? It’s foolish," said Martin.

Martin is a "Just say no" type of guy, but that doesn’t hold true for all his classmates. 

"I try not to pay mind to it. It’s just that nagging thought in the back of your head. We’re trying to learn here, we’re trying to get an education, look toward the future," said Martin. "You can’t do that on your own time?" 

Ninche says she’s having to talk to her children in second and fourth grades about vapes too, just in case.

"Because kids nowadays are getting a hold of these things," explained Ninche. "It’s disappointing because you wonder what’s causing it." 

The Sheriff has been asking schools to start having Narcan on campus in case of overdose, and the school resource officers do carry it. 

The Volusia County School District says it's rolling out a new campaign against vaping and drug use next quarter, and that it's installing vape detectors in schools. There's also an anonymous tip line where students can report inappropriate activity.