A topic that has permeated many discussions with school leaders, students, and community members over the past several years has been vaping. With a rise in students vaping, specifically in schools, the stress of figuring out how to 'solve' this epidemic has fallen on our teachers, counselors, community members, school leaders, and students.
Recently, we met with the AWSL Student Voice Network and asked them to weigh in on what we can start doing, stop doing, and keep doing to find solutions for this ongoing issue. Here is what they suggested:
Start Doing:
- Be clear about the problem we are trying to solve. Is the problem kids vaping, or kids vaping in schools? Because those are two different problems.
- Pre-high school awareness campaign: Start introducing a program around 5th grade and get more in-depth in middle school. Make sure students understand how harmful this is in life, teach them how to say no, and talk to them about how to find that happiness boost somewhere else (sports, clubs, etc.).
- Information campaigns: Clear up misconceptions about vapes not being as harmful as cigarettes, and raising awareness of the dangers of vapes and their impact on public health. It is crucial to start this in elementary and middle school.
- Introduce public speakers to the student body who have first-hand experience with vaping and can share their stories.
- Starting early, teach boundaries to young students. Set up role model pairs with high school students to meet with late elementary and early middle school students.
- Student leaders can create and reset school culture. Coming from a peer perspective could be more effective than anti-vape campaigns or teachers/admin telling students not to vape.
- Get to know the person who is vaping. Simply assuming they vape for any reason isn't fair to the person. Getting to know them and their motives can help them open up.
- If we want to eliminate student vaping, we need to get to the root of why they are vaping. This means talking about and addressing mental health, role models, experiences, ACES, loneliness, wanting to fit in, peer pressure, etc.
Stop Doing:
- Stop limiting bathroom times. It is a cruel and ineffective punishment. (Kids don't only vape in bathrooms.)
- Stop communicating only with morning announcements and other methods kids could tune out from.
- Discipline doesn't stop the addiction. Setting up support circles for anyone who wants to fight their addiction is better than punishing a student for having an addiction.
- Stop having older guest speakers; have young people. Hopeful high school students come in and talk about their experiences. A 16-year-old is more connected to their child-self than a 30-year-old speaker.
- Remember, you can't simply enforce discipline. You need to inspire it.
Keep Doing:
- Raising awareness through PSA's and anti-drug posters around schools.
- School leaders should keep leading by example by showing that you don't need to vape.
- Keep up open communication about the dangers. Though it should not be the primary approach, keeping the thought process of it being toxic and dangerous is good to avoid the "try it once" mentality.
Other Notes:
- Simple posters that say "stop vaping" won't have any effect, but those with a message might stick with people. I recall going into a locker room that said, "All of the gross things in this bathroom are nothing compared to what is in your vape." This type of stuff makes you think twice.
- Education for staff who are handling vaping would benefit the overall target of stopping vaping for good. If kids feel like they can talk to the adults in their schools, they are more likely to actually talk to them. Proper training of those adults to be empathetic and understanding regarding addiction will improve student-to-teacher interaction.
- Balance out how you deal with it. First time, time talk with admin. Second time, have them go to a support group with students and staff who have struggled with addictions. Like learning, students react differently to different preventative measures; make dealing with this a positive place for students who need to get help.
- Provide families and community members resources on how to have conversations about vaping and resources on how to support students who have had issues with vaping.
The AWSL Student Voice Network (SVN) is comprised of high school students from every region of the state. The AWSL SVN lends student voice to local, state, national, and legislative issues while providing insight and perspective to the Association of Washington Student Leaders.
The AWSL SVN also serves as an advisory council for our State Board of Education student representatives. The AWSL SVN also coordinates with the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), develops curriculum, engages in conversation, and facilitates teaching with building leaders across Washington state.