In 2023, Tennessee's high school vaping rate was 21.6%, more than double the national average of 10%. While national youth vaping rates have declined since 2019, Tennessee's rates have remained stable, with some surveys indicating an increase in high school students' use of vapor products, especially since Covid 19. A key factor was the popularity of products like JUUL, leading to surges in youth vaping between 2017 and 2019. Today, educators both find themselves in a position to educate our youth about these products and to discipline their students for violation of anti-vaping policies.

Recently, a Tennessee Department of Education survey showed an increase in high school students using vapor products since 2023, even as overall tobacco use declined nationally. Youth vaping rates in Tennessee saw a dip in 2017, coinciding with the implementation of the Deeming Rule, but surged again from 2017 to 2019. Some districts, like the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System (CMCSS), are seeing a rise in vaping and are trying current ideas such as installing "smart" sensors in school bathrooms to detect vaping. Principals have requested training on vaping, nicotine and THC products and student use in schools, and how to bridge the needs of students or cessation supports with the requirements under the law.

We hope this training can do all of that and more. We will open with Dr. Tobi Amosun, move to our representative from Roane County Schools, Mike Barber, and finish strong with a three-panel team of leaders from across our state. If you are concerned about Vaping in your schools or if you have a program that is working well for you, please join us on February 4, 2026 so that we can share ideas and support each other’s work in this area.

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