HR 1829: Georgia schools and boards of education; adopt evidence-based discipline policies and procedures to address the public health crisis of student vape and e-cigarette use; urge

House Resolution 1829

By: Representative Au of the 50th

A RESOLUTION

Urging Georgia schools and boards of education to adopt evidence-based discipline policies and procedures to address the public health crisis of student vape and e-cigarette use; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the adolescent use of e-cigarettes and vapes has become a national public health crisis, with the American Lung Association reporting that more than 2.1 million middle and high school students are currently using e-cigarettes, with a staggering 18.2 percent of high school students across the State of Georgia currently using e-cigarettes, more than double the nation's average; and

WHEREAS, vaping exposes young people to nicotine and other harmful substances at a time when the brain is most at risk for addiction, and because the brain continues to develop until early adulthood, the use of any addictive substance prior to these years is especially risky; and

WHEREAS, the House Study Committee on the Costs and Effects of Smoking found that e-cigarettes contribute to serious and negative health effects, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms these include respiratory illnesses, asthma, ADHD, and other behavioral problems in youth, as well as withdrawal symptoms when youth seek to quit; and

WHEREAS, e-cigarette device use is the second leading disciplinary incident in Georgia public schools according to the Georgia Office of Student Achievement, and in more than 50 percent of school vaping cases, children are suspended or expelled from school for long periods of time; and

WHEREAS, research shows that suspensions of 10 days or more can cut students' likelihood of graduating in half and that children who do not graduate experience higher rates of chronic illness, homelessness, joblessness, and justice involvement, costing the state millions of dollars in lost revenue and increased social services; and

WHEREAS, the 2025 House Study Committee on Student Attendance recognized that chronic absenteeism is a "critical barrier to student achievement, literacy, and long-term workforce readiness" and must be reduced; and

WHEREAS, rather than zero tolerance approaches to student vaping that have proven ineffective at stopping students from vaping or helping them recover from addiction, schools require evidence-based, health-focused alternatives to school suspensions and expulsions to combat the vaping crisis and protect student education, health, and wellbeing; and

WHEREAS, schools may participate in the Georgia Department of Public Health's "Opt-Out Live Vape Free Program," in which a child caught vaping in school is given the opportunity to participate in a multipart education and cessation program as an alternative to suspension; and

WHEREAS, schools may also take advantage of other free, effective vaping education, cessation, and alternative-to-suspension programs, including the Department of Public Health's Tobacco-Free Schools Toolkit, the American Lung Association's INDEPTH and N-O-T for schools and students, and school-based behavioral health services offered by Georgia's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities' Apex and other programs.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body urge Georgia schools and boards of education to reject ineffective zero tolerance discipline approaches to student vaping in favor of alternative-to-suspension programs proven to help students stop vaping while remaining in school in safe and supportive learning environments.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.