School leaders across the country are facing a significant challenge: how to effectively address the widespread issue of student vaping without resorting to suspensions that can disrupt a student’s education and may not address the root of the problem. A growing number of districts are recognizing that a purely punitive approach is often ineffective and can lead to negative academic and behavioral outcomes. As a result, many are now turning to restorative practices, which focus on education and repairing harm instead of just punishment. By integrating restorative community service and other educational alternatives into their disciplinary policies, schools can hold students accountable while providing them with the resources and support they need. This approach is being successfully implemented in districts like South River, New Jersey, Greece Central School District in New York and Duval County, Florida.

 

South River School District

The South River School District in New Jersey implemented a “Restorative Community Service” (RCS) program to address a range of non-violent infractions, including vaping. The program was launched in partnership with Effective School Solutions (ESS) in the fall of 2022, and serves as a direct alternative to in-school and out-of-school suspensions. Here’s a breakdown of how the program works for a student caught vaping:
•Initial Incident: Instead of an immediate suspension, the student is referred to the RCS program.
•Assessment: A trained RCS staff person (in this example, a clinician from ESS) and a school administrator jointly decide on a community service activity.
•Pre-Service Session: Prior to their community service, students reflect on the “why” behind their actions. Staff help the student reflect on the negative consequences of their vaping behavior and the positive impact of their upcoming community service.
•Community Service: The student performs their assigned hours of service, which can include activities like reading to younger students, helping in the library, or other tasks that benefit the school community.
•Post-Service Session: After completing the service hours, the student meets with the RCS staff person again to reflect on their experience. The conversation centers on how they felt contributing to the community and how that feeling compares to the negative consequences of their initial action. The goal is to help them recognize the difference and make better choices in the future.

The district has reported that since the program’s implementation, suspensions for minor infractions have significantly decreased, and they have seen a reduction in repeat offenses among participating students. This success has led to the program being formally written into the district’s code of conduct.

 

Greece Central School District

The Greece Central School District (NY) put a different spin on the restorative aspect in their Arcadia High School. Their model involves self-reflection, counseling and education and restorative circles to help students understand their behavior and its impact.
•Self-Reflection: Students complete a self-reflection survey to begin to recognize their own emotions, thoughts, and values that influence their behavior.
•Assessment & Education: They meet with a counselor to share those answers and complete a vaping education program.
•Restorative Conference: The student selects two people to invite to a meeting that were harmed by their vaping to repair that relationship. It could be a trusted peer or adult, or the assistant principal who needed to complete their disciplinary procedure and speak with their parents. In one example, a student invited the security guard they were disrespectful to when they were caught vaping.
The school reports that their program allows them to hear from students and find out what they need, and that they’re not getting. They state, if you’re just punishing them, those issues never come to the surface.

 

Duval County Public Schools

Duval County Public Schools (FL) offers an online, three-hour tobacco prevention course as an alternative to out-of-school suspension for students caught vaping. The course, which is included in the student code of conduct, educates students about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine addiction and has a high completion rate.
Here’s how the program works for DCPS:
•Online Tobacco Prevention Course: Students who violate the district’s tobacco-free campus policy are referred to a mandatory online course which is offered as an alternative to suspension.
•Focus on Education: The three-hour course is designed to educate students about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine addiction, including the specific risks associated with e-cigarettes. Programs to consider include Playbl’s ReFresh, the American Lung Associations INDEPTH or Stanford Universities Healthy Futures
•Part of the Student Code of Conduct: This alternative is formally written into the DCPS Code of Student Conduct, making it a standard, clear, and consistent option for addressing vaping incidents. This formal inclusion signals the district’s commitment to prioritizing education over punishment.

 

The examples from South River, Greece Central, and Duval County demonstrate a shift from outdated, punitive discipline and toward a more effective, holistic approach. By replacing suspensions with restorative community service and other targeted interventions, these districts are not only holding students accountable but also providing them with the education and support needed to address the root causes of vaping.

For schools looking to implement a similar program and equip their students with a comprehensive understanding of vaping’s risks, a high-quality, online self-paced curriculum is an ideal solution. It ensures every student receives consistent, evidence-informed education, giving them the tools to navigate nicotine addiction and empowering schools to build a truly restorative and healthy learning environment. For more information about Playbl’s evidence-based vaping intervention and prevention program please visit www.playbl.com/games.