News Article
What should educators do if they catch students vaping at school?
As students attend school amid a growing landscape of flavored, widely accessible nicotine products, it is important that teachers, administrators, school nurses, counsellors, and all those who work with youth know how to respond if they find students smoking, vaping, or using oral nicotine pouches.
While schools play a central role in confronting and addressing youth nicotine use, we recognize that vaping is a community-wide issue that extends beyond the classroom. Disposable e-cigarettes, most of which are on the market illegally, are flavored, cheap, and contain large amounts of nicotine — making them appealing to kids and easy to keep using. According to a report from Truth Initiative that surveyed educators across the country, many teachers and administrators grapple with nicotine use in school, reporting that vaping is “a daily issue” that disrupts learning and poses risks to academic performance.
The best way to limit nicotine use in schools is to support young people in quitting or never starting. Here are some suggestions for confronting students and connecting them with proven resources.
Respond to students who vape with support, not punishment
vaping in school consequences
Across the board, educators reported that vaping is pervasive in middle and high schools. High school educators frequently called e-cigarette use “pretty widespread,” reporting that “it’s everywhere” and is “a daily issue.” These incidents may be frustrating, but it is important that schools respond to tobacco and nicotine violations with a supportive approach. Nicotine is addictive and can impact the developing brain and a well-funded industry pushes its products into young people’s hands.
Truth Initiative does not support suspension or expulsions from school as a punishment for tobacco or nicotine use, including smoking and vaping, on school grounds. Suspension can cause even more problems at school, leading to lower test scores and graduation rates, among other poor outcomes. As an organization committed to equity and inclusion, we also note with concern that there are serious differences in how suspension and expulsions are used, with Black, Hispanic and Latino, and other disproportionately impacted students much more likely to be suspended or expelled.
Introduce all students to vaping prevention and quit programs
how to stop vaping in school bathrooms
The best way to limit nicotine use on school grounds is to support young people in quitting or never starting. Punitive measures will not help students quit. Students who violate tobacco policies should be approached in a supportive way that focuses on giving them the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions about nicotine use and eventually quit.
Help students quit with EX Program
Schools should also refer all students to EX Program, a free digital program for quitting any tobacco or nicotine product. EX Program, developed by Truth Initiative with Mayo Clinic, can increase the odds of quitting by up to 40% with a personalized quitting plan, supportive text messages, expert tips, and an online community of support.
Free prevention resources for schools
Vaping: Know the truth — developed by Truth Initiative and available for free through the leading social impact education innovator, EVERFI — is a national youth vaping prevention curriculum for middle and high school students.
The six-part, self-led curriculum guides teachers and students through the facts about nicotine and tobacco use and the history of the tobacco industry, and provides them with resources to help them quit if they are already using nicotine. Vaping: Know the truth is intended to be used in the classroom for all students, not as a punitive measure or remedial program for those caught using nicotine.
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