School Cessation Programs: Why Schools Should Help Students Quit—Not Just Punish Them
When a student is caught vaping, the response is usually punishment—suspension, citation. The alternative: school-based cessation programs that treat nicotine use as a health issue. The alternative is evidence-based, more effective, and rarely implemented.
A student caught vaping is suspended—removed from school, isolated from support, with unstructured time that makes relapse more likely. **The alternative: a school-based cessation program where the student receives counseling, education, and support to quit. The alternative is evidence-based, more effective at reducing nicotine use, and keeps the student engaged in school. The punitive model persists not because it works—it doesn't—but because it's administratively simpler and politically safer.**
