Teens caught vaping in Alabama schools will be punished with up to 16 hours of community service in unprecedented crackdown on underage e-cig use

Teenagers caught vaping at schools in Alabama will have to complete community service as part of a an unprecedented crackdown by schools on e-cigarette use.

Teachers in Cullman and Marshall counties say the situation has gotten so bad — with e-cigarettes even in primary schools — that they had no choice but to act. 

A small number of counties have implemented the new program that would see them forced to complete a two-hour education class and 16 hours of community service.

If they complete the program within two months their charges will be dropped, and they won’t be required to pay any court costs. 

Alabama school principals brought in the ‘vape courts’ after being overwhelmed with cases that were disrupting the school day.

In Marshall County, educators say at one point they were confiscating one vape a day from students.

Deputy Tamangi Lewis for the county told local provider WAFF: ‘We’ve [even] gotten them from elementary children — anywhere from first grade up to third grade.

‘Not even grades are separate from what we collect.’

In Cullman County, teachers complained lessons were being constantly disrupted by vapes.

Schools have also invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in high-tech vape sensors to catch children puffing in bathrooms and locker rooms.

Students caught with the devices could now be issued with suspensions and days at an alternative school as well as a date to appear in court.

At their appearance, watched by their parents, they are asked to plead guilty or not guilty before being handed their sentence — which includes community service and a six-hour education program to be completed within two months.

Students do not receive a criminal record, but those who fail to complete the sentence could face more community service and fines of up to $550.

The legal age for buying and using vapes in Alabama is 21 years and older, in line with most other states in the US.

But unscrupulous sellers and fruity flavors attractive to teenagers have created a tidal wave of underage users, with surveillance showing more than 40 percent of high school students have tried e-cigarettes.

At the start of this school year Marshall County brought in the ‘vape courts’ policy. It was following in the footsteps of Cullman County which brought in the specialist courts in 2021.

Cullman County has 10,000 children in school up to grade 12, while Marshall County has 6,000 students in its schools.

Kay Bell, the director of the Cullman Juvenile Probation program, told Al.com Cullman County sent 126 children to school in their first year.

But by the following year this number had dropped by 27 percent. 

Youngsters given court dates are mostly aged 14 to 15 years, although there have been a few 13-year-olds.

‘We actually have a pretty good success rate,’ she said. ‘If they have issues, they can call in and we’ll help.’

Local Judge Chad Floyd added nearly every single parent supports the program for their teenagers when their child is called to court.

‘I would say about 99 percent of the time, we have the parents on board with us,’ he said. 

‘Our most successful cases are the cases where we have buy in from the parents and everyone is pulling in the same direction.’

Among those sent to the courts was 11th-grader Gracie, whose second name is not being revealed in order to protect her identity.

She was sent to court on October 3 after being found with a vape at her school.

Speaking to reporters, she said spending several days in alternative school was ’embarrassing’ but had been helpful.

‘I feel like it was a good thing because I might not have ever quit otherwise,’ she said.

Explaining the program, Albertville District Court Judge Jay Mastin, from Marshall County, said: ‘We want our kids to understand what they are doing. Understand what they are putting in their bodies and know this isn’t a healthy option. 

‘We are going to try every level of education we can.’

The Cullman County student handbook says children caught with vapes will be sent to an alternative school for three days, a specialist school separate from the main campus where they will have to complete their work.

They will also be sent to court to receive 16 hours of community service at a non-profit organization and be sent on a six-hour education court about vapes.

Those who are found distributing vapes in schools will be suspended for four weeks.

If children complete their sentences within two months, their case is dismissed without court costs.

But if they fail to do so they can be given a $50 fine and up to $500 court costs.

Penalties get worse for repeated offenses.

The Marshall County student handbook says children caught with vapes will be given a ten-day suspension and be sent to court, where they will also receive a 16-hour community service sentence and an education course. They will have two weeks to complete this.

There are also reports that rural Coosa County has enacted a similar policy. 

Alabama schools have already been cracking down on vaping in schools by installing sensors in bathrooms.

These sound an alarm whenever they detect vapor from e-cigarettes, making it easier for teachers to crack down on vaping.

Many other school districts are already showing interest in the policy, Alabama schools say. But they are also facing opposition from campaigners.

Leah Nelson, the research director at policy group Alabama Appleseed, said: ‘This vape court doesn’t help kids avoid anything.

‘If anything, Cullman is constructing a new feeder into the school-to-prison pipeline for no good reason and without legal authority.’