BETHEL PARK, Pa. — It's not unusual for District Judge Ron Arnoni to see teenagers facing vaping related charges in his Bethel Park courtroom. Now he's working to change that across Allegheny County through a program challenging students to make the right decisions.
"I want them to be leaders, not followers," said Arnoni.
It's a message he's delivering to hundreds of students at a time through his LEAD program. LEAD which stands for leadership, education, accountability and direction.
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The program tackles a wide variety of topics, from social media to the impact of opioids and marijuana use.
But in the last few months, a new concern has been added -- vaping.
"Our message has been all along how dangerous it is and the fact that now it's actually killing kids," said Arnoni. "I've seen the principals, the SROs, and school police bring kids in and they're charged with a violation of the tobacco statute."
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