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Vaping Policies in Maine (as of 2/15/19)

Alexander Elementary School, Alexander

Alexander School Department includes vaping in its tobacco policy.

Biddeford High School, Biddeford

We have it as part of our policy.

Brunswick School Department, Brunswick

Brunswick High link it in with its tobacco use and possession policy.

Chevrus High School, Portland

Here is our current tobacco policy for both students and staff. Both include vaping, and both were recently reviewed and updated by the Tobacco Prevention Program Coordinator from Portland’s Public Health Division.  Click HERE to view their policy.

Fryeburg Academy, Fryeburg

We treat vaping the same way that we treat tobacco product use in our handbook. If a THC product is vaped, we treat like a substance abuse violation, as you might expect. 

Hamden Academy, Hamden

Policy JICG

Prohibited is the possession, use, distribution and sale of tobacco products in school buildings, on school grounds, in school vehicles and at school sponsored functions at all times by all persons. Tobacco products include but are not limited to cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco, cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and vapor devices.

Tobacco prevention education will be incorporated into the district’s K-12 comprehensive health curriculum as part of the Maine state standards, so all students will be aware of the consequences

of use/nonuse of tobacco products.   Legal Reference: Title 22, MRSA §1578-B  Title 5, MRSA §1551-1559

Click HERE to see their Tobacco Use and Prevention Policy.

Click HERE to see their Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol Regulation Policy.

Click HERE to see their Tobacco, Drug, and Alcohol Use by Students Policy.

Hancock Grammar School, Hancock

We have a section about tobacco use in our Code of Conduct policy. It states that “Students shall not smoke, use, possess, sell or distribute any tobacco products or e-cigarettes.” We do not have a separate vaping policy.

We are a K-8 school.

Hermon High School, Hermon

At Hermon, vaping has been incorporated into the tobacco policy. 

Jonesport Beals High School, Jonesport

Jonesport Beals has added vaping to our tobacco policy.

Kittery School Department, Kittery

In Kittery it was added in our Tobacco Policy.

Lewiston School Department, Lewiston

Lewiston has incorporated it using electronic cigarette language. 

Lincoln Academy, Newcastle

Lincoln Academy has incorporated vaping into the tobacco policy.

Lisbon School Department, Lisbon

Lisbon did add vape-pens in with our policies.  Here is the excerpt from our handbook:

Tobacco Use and Possession

The use, possession, sale, dispensing or distribution of tobacco products by all students is prohibited in school buildings and facilities during school-sponsored events, on school grounds, buses, and at all other times. (See Code ADC)

Use includes carrying or having in one’s possession a lighted cigarette, lighter, zippo, e-cigarette, vape-pen, cigar, pipe, or other objects giving off smoke. The use of smokeless tobacco possession includes any related smoking paraphernalia items.

  • First offense: Three (3) days suspension and police notified.
  • Second offense: Three (3) to five (5) days suspension. Meeting with parent/guardian, student, and substance abuse counselor prior to returning to school. Police notified.
  • Third offense: Five (5) to ten (10) days suspension. Meeting with parent/guardian, student, and Substance Abuse Counselor before re-entering school. Police notified and possible referral to the Superintendent for expulsion.  

Machias Memorial High School and Coastal Washington CIT, Machias

Machias Memorial High School and Coastal Washington CIT include vaping in our tobacco policy.  I am curious what other schools are doing to combat vaping in schools and what the consequences are when caught.

Madawaska School Department, Madawaska

Click HERE to view their Tobacco Use and Possession Administrative Procedures Policy.

Click HERE to view their Tobacco Use and Possession Policy.

Maine Central Institute, Pittsfield

  1. Vaping treated the same as smoking at Maine Central Institute.  It doesn’t matter if a student claims he/she was vaping something without nicotine.  
  2. Vaping or having the paraphernalia is against school rules.  
  3. Vaping in a school building (particularly a dormitory) is a violation of our “open flame” policy which is addressed very seriously as it is putting others at risk of a building fire.

Mattanawcook Academy, Lincoln

We have included vaping in our policy.

Monmouth Academy, Monmouth

We have incorporated vaping within our district tobacco policy.

Mt. Ararat High School, Topsham

In our recent revision, we have included vaping in our Tobacco policy.

Mt. Desert High School, Mt. Desert Island

The MDIHS tobacco policy includes e-cigarettes.  Here the opening paragraph of our tobacco policy

In order to promote the health, welfare and safety of students, staff and visitors and to promote the cleanliness of all facilities, the Board prohibits smoking and all other use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vaporizing devices in school buildings, on school property, on school buses or in any other School Department vehicle, at all times and by all persons.

Mt. View, Thorndike

At Mt. View it is treated just like tobacco.

MSAD 6, Standish

At MSAD #6 it is part of our tobacco policy. We at Bonny Eagle High School treat vaping the same as Tobacco. We log it as a nicotine violation unless we can prove the vape has marijuana within it which happens from time to time.  It falls within our handbook as the same violation as tobacco. Two days out of school on first offense. 

We struggle because state reporting then mandates we consider it “Illicit Drug” as they have taken away the options for specifying further. 

We are debating alternative options for consequences, due to the rampantness of this. We have also seen an incredibly high never of parents requesting the devices back upon their child being caught. Much more so than with cigarettes or paraphernalia. 

SAD 13, Bingham

Our board felt that vaping was covered under our current policy with inhalants.

MSAD 17, South Paris

MSAD 17 has it in the tobacco policy. 

MSAD 20, Fort Fairfield

It is in our Tobacco policy. 

MSAD 27, Fort Kent

It is part of our tobacco policy.  Infractions get the same consequences as tobacco smokers or marijuana if it is vaping of that nature.

MSAD 32, Ashland

Ashland District School recently redid the tobacco policy to be more specific and include all electronic delivery systems in the policy.

MSAD 33, St. Agatha

Wisdom M/HS in MSAD #33 have incorporated vaping products into our tobacco policy as of last summer.

MSAD 37, Harrington

SAD 37, the Board has passed the first reading on a new policy which adds vaping to our current tobacco policy. 

MSAD 42, Mars Hill

Currently we do not have a separate vaping policy or include the word “vaping” in our policy.  Our policy as of now reads, “No student shall dispense, possess or use any form of tobacco products.  This applies before, during and after school hours in any school building or on any school premises; in any school-owned vehicle or in any other school-approved activity, event or function, such as a field trip or athletic event, where students are under the jurisdiction of the school system or off campus when the student is not under the jurisdiction of the school system but is currently a member of a co-curricular group.

MSAD 52, Leavitt

We incorporated it into our existing tobacco use policy.  We did this several years ago, it has made easier to manage with it in the policy.  However, vaping itself is still a big problem.

MSAD 54, Skowhegan

MSAD 54 (Skowhegan District) has incorporated vaping language into our policy and in our school handbooks.

Click HERE to view the policy.

MSAD 55, Hiram

MSAD 55 has included nicotine vaping under our Tobacco Free Schools policy. We have added language about dabbing/cannabis oils and extracts under our Drug Free Schools policy. Also, we sent home a letter to parents on 12/28/18 notifying parents/guardians that the high school would be increasing disciplinary consequences to vaping/JUULs in response to a substantial increase in incidents so far this year. I have attached copies of the texts of this letter and a second letter sent on 1/30/19 about dabbing cannabis extracts.

What I fear is when some company develops a JUUL compatible cartridge that contains cannabis extract. I have been told but have not confirmed that these products are currently available even though not legal at present. The consequence structure for vaping nicotine is now 2 OSS for 1st offense, 5 OSS for 2nd, 10 OSS/re-entry with Supt for 3rd. The consequence structure for cannabis has not changed: 10 OSS reduced to 5 with engagement in substance abuse treatment for 1st offense, 10 OSS with re-entry with Supt. for 2nd, 10 OSS with recommendation of expulsion for 3rd. These “strikes” are cumulative across a student’s school career, and we will consider incidents which occurred in middle school as well.

We have scheduled a parent information meeting about both vaping and dabbing on Tuesday, March 5th in partnership with Healthy Oxford Hills, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Dept. and the Sacopee Valley Health Center.

One last thing: our school social worker has become inundated with substance abuse counseling referrals as a result of the vaping/dabbing trend, to the point where he cannot manage the caseload responsibly. We are currently in negotiations with the Sacopee Valley Health Center to get a SA counselor at our school for half a day a week to meet with students who are patients there.

Click HERE to view their policy on vaping.

Click HERE to view their Vaping letter.

Click HERE to view their Dabbing letter.

MSAD 61, Naples

SAD #61 has included vaping in our policy and code of conduct.

RSU 1, Bath

Morse High School (RSU 1) has altered our tobacco policy to include vapes. 

RSU 5, Freeport

RSU5 has incorporated vaping into its tobacco policy.

RSU 9, Farmington

The RSU9 policy now includes vape products and vaping under the tobacco use, unless it is one that could perhaps be mixed with CBD oil, and in that case would fall under a marijuana/drug violation.

RSU 14, Windham

We recently revamped out policy to reflect the changing landscape around e-cigs and vaping. Happy to be involved in any capacity to support other districts/MPA. It’s definitely a major challenge that our schools are struggling with.

Click HERE to view their policy.

RSU 16, Poland

RSU 16 has incorporated vaping into our tobacco policy.

RSU 18, Oakland

Vaping is currently in our substance abuse policy.  Click HERE to view their policy.

RSU 19, Newport

Click HERE to view their Tobacco Discipline Guidelines Policy.

Click HERE to view their Tobacco Use Possession Policy.

RSU 39, Caribou

RSU 39 will be meeting with ACAP on Feb 26 to discuss our Tobacco Policy.  Currently our policy includes electronic tobacco forms so I don’t believe we will be creating a separate vaping policy.

I can tell you that I am currently looking at purchasing a vaping/bullying detector for bathrooms.  Fly Sense – https://www.sotertechnologies.com/flysense – is a device made for restrooms to detect the presence of vaping, smoke and loud noises.  

RSU 50, Dyer Brook

RSU 50 incorporated vaping into the existing tobacco policy.   

RSU 82/MSAD 12, Jackman 

We updated our tobacco policy to incorporate vaping.

RSU 84, Danforth

RSU 84 has a combined tobacco/vaping policy.

Scarborough School Department, Scarborough

Click HERE to see a copy of their policy.

South Portland High School, South Portland

Attached is what SPHS uses and we at the middle school use an adapted form.  We also treat Juul/Vaping the same as tobacco because we have a “look alike” clause in our policy.

Click HERE to view their School Policy Violation Flowchart.

Click HERE to view their Completed Substance Use Policy Violation Parent/Guardian Info Sheet.

Click HERE to view their Parent/Guardian Info letter.

SU 69, Lincolnville

The three school districts in SU69 included it in the tobacco policy.

SU 107, Woodland

We at Woodland treat vaping products the same as cigarettes and it is stated in our policy. 

Washington Academy, East Machias

We added vaping to our policy at Washington Academy in the summer of 2017.

Westbrook High School, Westbrook

We have added vaping language to our policies in Westbrook.

Yarmouth School Department, Yarmouth

Yarmouth no longer has a separate tobacco policy.  

FYI~ from Kristen McAuley

The MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence is a contractor of the Maine CDC / DHHS, and our Prevention team is charged with working across Maine to help communities – including schools – be tobacco-free.  We contract with a series of 14 community-based coalitions to work directly with schools, municipalities and other settings to enact model tobacco policies, which include as electronic tobacco products such as JUUL.  Part of this work includes a review of school policies to determine a variety of factors related to both communication and enforcement. 

I’d be happy to discuss how we support this work, resources we have, and how best we can partner to ensure that schools have the right tools to address this challenging issue.  I’m in the midst of working with the Maine CDC and DOE to also engage MSMA on a potential letter that would go out to schools to highlight available resources.

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