The Harmful Effects of Vape Use and its Implications on Student Discipline

 |  Information

Legacy Traditional Schools, and many schools across the nation have seen a spike in student vaping. Further complicating this matter is misinformation, a lack of clarity and a general misunderstanding about vaping and/or the use of electronic cigarettes.

We want to inform you of this issue, regardless of your child’s age or involvement, and offer support if you feel your child is involved in this kind of behavior. In addition, it’s important to review the potential repercussions should your child engage in vaping while on a Legacy campus, or a school-sanctioned event.

Implications of Legacy Students’ Use of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

In all matters pertaining to student discipline, we strictly follow our policy guidelines outlined in the Legacy Traditional Schools Consequence Matrix when determining which course of action will be taken based on the student(s) behavior or act.

In the case of a student’s use, sale, or distribution of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs while on campus, students may face a long-term suspension of 10 days or more, or possible expulsion.

Identifying E-Cigarette Products and Their Harmful Effects

Like all matters regarding the health of our students, we take this issue very seriously. We encourage you to review the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent research on vapes and e-cigarettes, and its impact on adolescent health:

  1. E-cigarettes are a rapidly emerging and diversified product class. These devices typically deliver nicotine, flavorings, and other additives to users via an inhaled aerosol. These devices are referred to by a variety of names, including “e-cigs,” “e-hookahs,” “mods,” “vape pens,” “vapes,” and “tank systems.”
  2. E-cigarettes and vapes can often be confused with pens or flash drives, making them easy to hide and be concealed in backpacks. Like cigarettes, stores cannot sell vaping items to people under the age of 18. However, students report that they purchase the devices online, from older siblings and friends.
  3. E-cigarette use among youth and young adults has become a public health concern. In 2014, current use of e-cigarettes by young adults 18–24 years of age surpassed that of adults 25 years of age and older.
  4. E-cigarettes are now the most commonly used tobacco product among youth, surpassing conventional cigarettes in 2014. E-cigarette use is strongly associated with the use of other tobacco products among youth and young adults, including combustible tobacco products.
  5. The use of products containing nicotine poses dangers to youth, pregnant women, and fetuses. The use of products containing nicotine in any form among youth, including in e-cigarettes, is unsafe.
  6. E-cigarette aerosol is not harmless. It can contain harmful and potentially harmful constituents, including nicotine. Nicotine exposure during adolescence can cause addiction and can harm the developing adolescent brain.
  7. Promoting flavors and using a wide variety of media channels and approaches that have been used in the past for marketing conventional tobacco products to youth and young adults market e-cigarettes.

We hope you find this letter informative and understand our concerns about this potentially harmful issue. Thank you for your continued support.

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