Since most e-cigarettes contain the addictive chemical compound nicotine, vaping can disrupt brain development for adolescents, impacting their ability to control attention, learning, mood and impulse control, the CDC reports.
Cy-Fair ISD trustee Justin Ray at the June 17 board meeting urged district officials to investigate ways to prevent vaping on campuses. Based on feedback from campus leaders, he said vaping is a major health and safety concern.
“Talking with one of the principals, ... vaping is our No. 1 issue,” he said. “This is much more than kids just sneaking a Marlboro Red in a Trans Am in a parking lot, right? This is a serious health issue. It’s having a dramatic impact, especially with the presence of THC and who knows what else.”
By the numbers
There were 866 reported cases of vaping incidents in CFISD throughout the 2023-24 school year. According to the district’s legal department, this was the first year that vaping incidents were formally tracked.
Overall, drug and alcohol incidents across CFISD were up nearly 30% compared to the previous school year. Additionally, the district reported 11 instances where Narcan was used to reverse an opioid overdose.
Efforts by the district to prevent vaping include an email to parents, social media posts, marquee messaging and public service announcement videos, district officials said.Current situation
House Bill 114 went into effect Sept. 1, increasing penalties for students caught with vape devices, Community Impact previously reported.
Public schools across the state are now required to remove students from class and place them in a disciplinary alternative education program if they possess, use, sell or share e-cigarettes on or near campus. First-time offenders in CFISD are placed at the Alternative Learning Center for a minimum of 10 days.
Steven Kelder, a professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health who developed the CATCH My Breath vaping prevention program, said while discipline is the easier route to take, students also need support to help them quit vaping.
“But now, instead of a physical problem, you've got a social problem. Your kid has been put into alternative school—no more sports, no more cheerleading, no more clubs—and you've got a mark on your record,” he said. “Not to mention, some [schools] are catching so many kids that there's a waitlist to get into the alternative school, so it's causing financial pressure on the school districts. And the only reason is because they're addicted.”
Kelder partially attributes the decline in vape usage over the past few years to multimillion-dollar lawsuits against vape companies such as JUUL Labs in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[Kids are] often using these substances under the radar of parents and teachers. But they're doing it together, and so they're experimenting together. [During] COVID, they were staying at home, and so much was digital that there wasn't the opportunity to initiate use,” he said.
What parents should know
Public health officials have made “great strides” with the teen smoking rate, Kelder said. Today only about 3%-4% of teenagers smoke traditional cigarettes compared to more than 50% in the 1970s, he said.
“The norms have changed. Kids don't want to smoke. They know that it's not good for you. They don't want to smell like it, and they know it's just a nasty thing,” he said. “Then here comes along another source of nicotine that tastes like fruit flavors and candy. ... That's a key reason why kids want to use it.”
Kelder said vaping can lead to serious respiratory issues and potential lifelong addictions. However, since there is only about a decade of data to analyze, he said time will tell what long-term effects vaping may have.
Lea McMahon is the chief clinical officer at Symetria Recovery, which has locations in Houston, including in Jersey Village. McMahon said she recommends parents share the effects of addiction with their children using age-appropriate examples.
“At my clinic, many of my younger patients admit that vaping is partially more alluring due to its seemingly ‘less serious’ complications than other substances such as prescription drugs and alcohol,” she said in an email. “Also, many teens can access e-cigarettes without stringent complications due to online sites and peers who already have access to such items.”
Resources for parents are available at www.letsgo.catch.org/pages/catch-my-breath.
