Clearing the Air: Local schools ban vape devices, smoking and tobacco use

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the fifth and final installment in a series of stories about teen vaping. 

 

 

Texarkana's school districts ban students 'possession and use of e-cigarettes or vape devices.

All the districts prohibit smoking, the use of tobacco products and e-cigarettes on district property, in district vehicles or at school-related activities.

A vaping device and paraphernalia all fall under the same policies as any tobacco product. Students are also prohibited from selling the products and may not have them in their vehicles.

Tina Veal Gooch, executive director for public relations at Texarkana Independent School District, said all students caught vaping or with vaping products are disciplined. For a first offense, students will be given three days of in-school suspension.

"TISD has not seen an increase this year," she said. "In 2018-19, there was one incident at Texas Middle School related to vaping and around 25 at Texas High School."

She added that there has not been any reported use at the elementary level.

At Liberty-Eylau High School, Principal Kendrick Smith said they had between five and 10 incidents last year and none so far this year.

"In the last couple of years, we saw it quite a bit," he said. "We haven't seen as much this year, as in we haven't caught anyone this year. But once we do, we treat it as tobacco products."

L-EISD students caught with vaping products face five days of in-school suspension for a first offense and the discipline goes up from there, Hudson said.

District Communications Director Matt Fry said vaping is affecting schools nationwide and that L-EISD is working to address the potential dangers involved with it.

"I think if any school says it's not a problem they are having to address, then they have their head in the sand," he said. "That's just not true. It's just like everything else. You have to be proactive."

Last year, Dr. Matt Young with the Texarkana Emergency Center spoke on the dangers of vaping in a series of presentations at Texas High, L-E High School, Pleasant Grove High School and Arkansas High.

Fry said the talk was "pretty explicit" and that vaping is mentioned in a safety course all Liberty-Eylau's fifth-grade students attend.

He said they also have anti-vaping materials available, including posters located around the campus.

"If anything, we hope it brings awareness and makes them think some," he said.

Smith said many students have the mindset that there is nothing wrong with vaping. But since they cannot purchase it themselves, they don't know exactly what is included in the product. 

"But just kind of like the other drugs and things out on the market, what they sell you versus what's added to it by the time you get it, you have no control over that," he said.

Fry said he thinks more research needs to be done on the dangers of vaping and that changing student vaping culture will have to come from somewhere other than schools.

"In schools, you have the penalties, you have the discipline, that stuff, but it's going to have to be something like tobacco," he said. "Tobacco usage went down because there was a focus on education and it was nationwide, it wasn't just in schools."

Smith said some of the student vaping use begins at home with a parent using an e-cigarette or vape as part of a smoking cessation program.

"Parents who smoke and they're trying to quit smoking and they get a vape product, then the student sees their parent, they think this will be cool. Let me take it to school and show off a little bit," he said. "I think some of that comes from those types of situations."

Texas' increase of the smoking age from 18 to 21, which begins today, could also possibly affect student access to the vape products, Fry said.

"Hopefully that will help because you won't have high school seniors that can legally buy it," he said. "At that point, even though it is illegal to have it on campus, it will be illegal for anyone to have it on campus anywhere."

In Texarkana, Ark. School District, a 100% tobacco-free school policy is in place not only for students, but also for school district employees, school volunteers, contractors or other persons performing services on behalf of the school district. They are prohibited from using tobacco products at any time.

TASD Public Relations Director Genia Bullock said they have not seen an increase in vaping incidents on their campuses. In 2017-18, the district had one incident at the junior high involving tobacco, e-cigarettes, or vaping devices and 15 at the high school. In 2018-19, there were no incidents at the junior high and 16 at the high school.

"TASD has not seen an increase in disciplinary actions taken as a result of tobacco or tobacco use on our campuses," she said. If students are caught with tobacco products, they receive three days of in-school suspension for the first offense.

Bullock said the district works with medical organizations to promote the awareness of the negative effects of vaping and that teachers and administrators constantly monitor the students to ensure they are not using the products.

Pleasant Grove ISD officials did not provide information on the number of incidents on their campuses, nor the discipline for those who are caught with the devices, but said they are offering continued education on vaping.

"The health and safety of our students are the top priority at Pleasant Grove ISD," Superintendent Chad Pirtle said. "We remain proactive in educating parents and students on the harmful effects of vaping. Pleasant Grove High School and Pleasant Grove Middle School hosted Dr. Matt Young from Texarkana Emergency Center for student and parent education workshops last year regarding the dangers of vaping. We anticipate offering continued education to our parents and students as we progress through the school year. "

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