As school is starting to get underway across the state, State Representative Myron Dossett is urging students and their guardians to have open discussions about vaping and the consequences that come with it.
School systems are adopting zero-tolerance policies for vaping and vaping products on their campuses, including in Christian County Public Schools, which results in disciplinary action if a student is found to be in possession of a vaping product.
Representative Myron Dossett of Pembroke is urging the guardians of students to have honest, direct conversations with their student, no matter their grade, about how vaping is not only damaging to their academic career, but also their health.
He also urged students to make good decisions and to not get caught up in peer pressure or bullying to try a vape or to hold a vaping product for another student, as it can have very real consequences.
During the 2024 Regular Session, the General Assembly passed legislation to crack down on student usage of e-cigarettes and vapes in school. One such measure was House Bill 142, which requires school districts to prohibit tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products and provide evidence-based materials to students who violate this policy.
After CCPS created their zero-tolerance policy in the 2022-23 school year, 255 students were caught with vaping products, and a reported 101 of the devices contained a controlled substance.
For the 2024-2025 school year, the CCPS policy will differentiate between vapes with THC or controlled substances and those containing solely nicotine. Legal action will only be taken if the device contains a controlled substance.