Fort Worth ISD, Texas cracking down on student vaping. Here’s what data shows, experts say

Lina Ruiz
·7 min read
2

Fort Worth Independent School District students are facing harsher penalties for vaping with the rollout of a new state law, but experts and students say stricter discipline does not address the root of the problem.

Vaping devices such as e-cigarettes, vapes and vape pens are the most common tobacco product among middle and high school students in the U.S. and can contain nicotine, cannabis and flavoring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Fort Worth ISD, almost 400 students have faced disciplinary action related to vaping roughly from September to November both in 2022 and 2023.

The state law cracking down on this behavior went into effect Sept. 1, but the test run to see how it would impact Fort Worth students did not start until Sept. 5 since students were out of class for a teacher preparation day and Labor Day. The penalties affecting students in third through 12th grade vary depending on how many vaping devices a student is found with and whether THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, is also found on their person. Students can be sent to a separate classroom through a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) or to an alternative school.

The consequences include:

  • One-day intervention at the school’s DAEP program if found with a vaping device and no THC

  • One-day intervention at either the school’s DAEP program or the Metro Opportunity School if found with two or fewer vaping devices in addition to THC (first offense)

  • 15-day intervention at Metro Opportunity School if repeatedly found with two or fewer vaping devices and THC

  • 20-day intervention at Metro Opportunity School if found with three or more vaping devices and THC

In the district’s announcement of the harsher penalties, officials encouraged parents and guardians to contact school counselors if they believe their child is experiencing addiction.

“If you suspect that your child may be struggling with substance abuse, we encourage you to reach out to your school counselor. We are here to support your family with resources and assistance to address any concerns you may have,” the statement reads.

Before the law went into effect Sept. 1, a student found just with a vaping device and no substances faced more minor consequences that mostly stayed at the school level through discipline such as the On-Campus Intervention program, or OCI, said Mark Cerja, the district’s alternative education programs administrator and principal of various alternative schools. It addresses behavioral issues by placing students in a separate classroom with a certified teacher, intervention specialist and campus administrator.

Now, all incidents involving vaping are reported to the district’s student discipline and placement department for a central office conference, where school administrators present information of an incident to a hearing officer who determines whether the student returns to their normal campus or is transferred to an alternative school. Parents are included in the conference.

Students assigned to OCI are typically in the same classroom as students assigned to DAEP, but the latter are there as a result of the conference and have no wiggle room to finish their punishment early for good behavior like OCI students, Cerja said.

When referring to the new law, Cerja felt that it was passed to “help address this issue that is really causing a strain across Texas.” He hopes the new law, communication and spreading awareness will help reduce the number of vaping incidents in Fort Worth ISD.

“Everybody’s really got to take a hard look at what measures could help pull back some of this vaping use, especially with the youth in our community,” Cerja said.

A sophomore at Trimble Tech High School told the Star-Telegram that he doesn’t vape himself, but he sees his peers consistently vaping, smoking and trying to get ahold of vaping devices. He’s had people ask him for money for lunch who will instead use the cash to buy a vaping device such as a Baked Bar, which is marketed as “one of the best and purest carts in the markets today” that are almost 90% THC.

As a high schooler himself, he believes that the threat of tougher punishments will only incentivize his peers to be more sneaky with hiding their vaping devices.

“It’s really a parenting issue and a dealership issue with the vape stores… They sell stuff to little kids just to get more money,” the student said. “It’s an addiction. It’s not something they’re just going to stop.”

Data obtained by the Star-Telegram from the school district through a public information request shows that the number of students who received in-school suspensions for vaping incidents more than doubled compared to the same period last year. Additionally, the number of out-of-school suspensions decreased by 27%, and on-campus interventions slightly decreased by 8%.

Overall, five more students have been disciplined in Fort Worth ISD overall from Sept. 5 to Nov. 9 this year compared to the same period last year. The current freshman class makes up the highest number of disciplined students this year at 93. The same group also accounted for the most disciplined students last year with 99 students.

Experts say harsher penalties won’t solve the problem

Fort Worth ISD makes up a fraction of a nationwide problem. More than 2.5 million middle and high school students in the U.S. reported using a commercial tobacco product in 2022 within a month-long period, according to the CDC.

The bright spot, though, is that overall tobacco use by high schoolers declined during 2022-2023, primarily driven by declining e-cigarette use, according to a 2023 survey by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and CDC.

The tobacco industry is known to target young people in its advertising while offering fruity and sweet flavors such as “rainbow candy” and “fizzy peach” in products like flavored e-cigarettes, according to the CDC. This type of marketing puts youth at risk of nicotine addiction, which can harm their attention, learning, mood and impulse control, experts say.

When addressing behaviors such as vaping in the school system, suspension should be considered “a last resort for serious violations” because missing time in the classroom puts students at risk for graduating late, dropping out, or becoming involved in the criminal justice system, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Students of color, LGBTQ+ students, male students, low-income students and students receiving special education services make up a larger proportion of suspensions.

“Suspending students who violate a school’s tobacco-free policy is unlikely to help them quit tobacco use, and could alter their academic and future goals,” according to the CDC. “Because young people have been unfairly targeted with marketing tactics, the science of addiction, and long-term consequences of suspension, schools should provide a supportive environment and encouragement to quit using tobacco products, not suspension.”

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Dr. Emily Frank, a practicing pediatrician and a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health executive committee, said an investment in mental health resources and proper medical treatment are needed. Frank is also a health teacher at a high school in Oakland, California, and works in school-based health centers in the area.

“A lot of the time, vaping is something a young person is using to treat a health issue, and addiction is a health issue,” Frank said. “I think that when there’s automatic discipline, it really becomes a lost opportunity to address a need or an underlying cause.”

The CDC points to Florida and New Jersey as examples where alternatives to suspension are offered, which include an online course that explains the dangers of tobacco use and can be taken in lieu of an out-of-school suspension.

Frank said this could be an effective tool for other areas to use, in addition to linking students with a health care provider. Depending on the student’s needs, they could get sufficient help through a school-provided counselor, but issues with addiction or signs of anxiety or depression warrant an evaluation by a medical professional.

“I think group therapy could have a huge role. I think cognitive behavioral therapy could have a huge role,” Frank added, referring to the type of therapy that can address issues such as drug use by reframing unhelpful thinking patterns.

Cerja said that the Texas Education Agency is planning to roll out a drug awareness course for students with drug-related offenses. In the meantime, there are “supports” for students in the OCI program and alternative schools meant to improve future decision making, he said.