A northeast Ohio high school has banned metal water bottles, including popular brands Stanley, Yeti, Owala and Hydro Flask, from entering the building.
Since Sept. 8, only clear water containers are allowed at Firestone Community Learning Center, which serves roughly 1,000 students in grades 9-12 in northwest Akron.
More than 20 Firestone students protested the ban before school began Sept. 8 by carrying their metal water bottles and clanging them like cow bells. Other students have taken to social media and attended a school board meeting to voice their concerns and frustration.
“We, as students, believe this policy places an unneeded burden on students seeking to meet their daily hydration needs, especially for students with acute health needs,” said Firestone senior Whittman Sullivan, who presented the school board with roughly 250 student signatures on a petition that opposes the ban.
Why were water bottles banned?
Firestone administrators identified metal water bottles as a “significant safety concern” last school year, said Stacey Hodoh, director of communications for Akron Public Schools.
She said the opaque metal containers create significant delays in the school’s security screening process because the school’s safety team must manually inspect every bottle to confirm its contents. She said students could use the containers to bring prohibited items into the school.
Hodoh said the district cannot discuss specific incidents and that the decision to restrict metal water bottles was based on multiple factors.
“These types of containers pose a potential safety risk due to their size, weight and opaqueness, which can easily hide their contents,” she said. “This is a proactive step to prevent situations that could put our students at risk.”
Students can still bring transparent water bottles to school.
What do students and parents think?
Firestone students say stainless steel water bottles are better at keeping liquids cold throughout the school day, more durable than plastic bottles, healthier to use because they are anti-microbial and better for the environment because they are reusable and do not contribute to plastic waste.
Lisa Shaw, whose daughter, Evelyn, is a freshman at Firestone, said her family owns roughly 30 water bottles and none of them are clear plastic.
“I can’t find a viable option that is not going to leak,” she said. “I don’t want my daughter drinking plastic 24/7. That’s why we went to stainless steel.”
She questioned how many families will be able to afford buying an alternative water bottle, which can cost up to $50, when they have already bought metal ones. Without a suitable alternative, she worries that students will skip drinking water throughout the day.
“Because nobody is going to drink warm water,” she said.
Whittman suggested Firestone allow students to bring the metal water bottles empty to school, similar to going through a Transportation Security Administration line at an airport.
“We believe strongly that there are more sensible solutions than an all-out ban,” he said.
More schools are banning metal water bottles
Schools around the country have introduced similar metal water bottle bans, citing concerns about safety and using the bottles to carry illegal substances. Schools in New Jersey, Alabama and New York have instituted bans within the past two months, according to news reports.
One other high school in the district has banned metal water bottles. In April, a teacher at the school, Buchtel Community Learning Center, was hospitalized after a female student struck the teacher in the head with a Stanley cup as the teacher tried to stop a fight. The girl, who also struck another student with the metal cup, was arrested and charged with felonious assault and disorderly conduct.
Akron Beacon Journal staff writer April Helms contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio high school bans Stanleys, Owalas and Yetis. Here’s why
