Sitting quietly at his desk, an anonymous senior slips his hand into his pocket and pulls out an electronic cigarette. He quietly lifts the e-cigarette to his mouth and bends his head down to blow vapor at the ground.

“Everyone is smoking them,” he said. “There are so many people who already have them and who are smoking them at school.”

E-cigarettes have recently been growing in popularity among students at school. The e-cigarettes have been advertised as healthy, tobacco-free alternatives to cigarettes. The studies are not conclusive, however, and some point to the fact that very little is known about the side-effects of e-cigarettes.

Some students like the senior, who is 18, claim that the device has helped them quit smoking regular cigarettes. But other students use them for social reasons.

“It sounds kind of bad to say, but [I use them for] popularity,” a junior source said. “It’s a hot topic right now and they looked interesting … It’s been going on at least for the past year at Mill Valley without anyone noticing.”

The junior wished to remain anonymous because he is underage, and, as of July 2012, smoking e-cigarettes is illegal in the state of Kansas for those under 18. A citation would include a $25 fine for those in possession and a minimum $200 fine for those furnishing to a minor.

According to a JagWire survey of 305 students, the fact that e-cigarettes are illegal isn’t stopping underage students from using them. In fact, 25 percent of the students surveyed who were under 18 admitted to having smoked an e-cigarette.

Although principal Tobie Waldeck said that he has dealt with e-cigarettes only twice in his 23-year career, in the same JagWire survey, almost 50 percent of all students said that they had seen someone smoking an e-cigarette during school.

“I’ve seen them a lot,” junior Alex Lauderdale said. “I think it’s a stupid way to get bad attention.”

Junior Lydia Archibong has also seen a student using an e-cigarette at school.

“I only saw it one time,” Archibong said. “The teacher was totally oblivious. I think teachers should just pay more attention to what kids are doing.”

Even if a student is caught smoking an e-cigarette by a teacher, the policy for punishing that student is unclear because the current school handbook bans “smoking, chewing or possession of any tobacco product,” which does not technically include e-cigarettes, as they contain nicotine but not tobacco.

After being informed that e-cigarettes are illegal for those under 18, the administration quickly took steps to change the school policy and ban them in the handbook for next year. Before the change in policy is finalized, it will have to be approved by the school board.

“This item will be included in all handbooks, to remove any doubt,” Waldeck said. “The device itself is not an item that should be in school. Even if a school district doesn’t have a specific policy, Kansas law takes precedent … We want to make sure that we provide a safe environment. They are unlawful and it’s an inappropriate item for school.”

For those over 18, Waldeck said that e-cigarette situations will be “handled on a case-by-case basis.”

“Currently, the policy is clear,” Waldeck said.

Many students would disagree with this statement, however, as 50 percent of surveyed students said they “had no idea” whether e-cigarettes were banned in school or not.

English teacher Justin Bogart said students use the e-cigarettes at school because they have yet to be specifically addressed in the policy.

“I think they are using them to test the boundaries of what’s appropriate at school,” Bogart said. “[But] no, I have not seen them [at school].”

While many teachers don’t notice students using e-cigarettes, some students are not willing to turn their peers into administration.

“I don’t care because it’s not affecting me and they can get their own consequences,” sophomore Kiera Lee said. “Plus, I’m not going to be a snitch, so they can do whatever they want.”

Freshman Catherine Westin believes that regardless of the legality or school policy, students should not use e-cigarettes at school.

“[E-cigarettes] can distract students from their school work and others,” Westin said. “You wouldn’t smoke regular cigarettes in class, so why would you smoke electronic cigarettes?”