Hundreds of Houston-area students have faced disciplinary action under a new Texas law aimed at curbing youth vaping, a rule that is sparking concern among some school administrators and advocates for its stringent measures. Since the implementation of House Bill 114 on Sept. 1, more than 1,300 students in the area's top five school districts have been removed from class and punished for offenses involving e-cigarettes, as detailed in data reported by the Houston Chronicle.

While the law dictates that offending students be sent to Disciplinary Alternative Education Programs (DAEPs), it allows for in-school suspension when DAEPs are at capacity. Yet, in Houston ISD, the largest district in the state, close to 370 students found themselves in DAEPs through early December. The district has since carved out an exemption from the law, as HISD officials argue that this zero-tolerance policy offers no flexibility, potentially disrupting learning and contributing to lower graduation rates, HISD spokesperson Joseph Sam explained the Houston Chronicle.

In a separate development, some districts are turning to technology to combat the issue of vaping in schools. Montgomery and Pearland ISDs are among those employing vape detectors in their high schools, the principal of Montgomery High School shared how the detectors alert school leaders without students being aware, facilitating a prompt response or investigation, as reported by KHOU. Houston ISD, meanwhile, has not invested in vape detection systems but maintains strict anti-vaping policies enforcing discipline, as per their Student Code of Conduct.

The debate around these disciplinary measures continues. Advocates and school officials are pushing back against the severity, arguing for the implementation of educational and restorative solutions to underlying issues leading to vaping. Rep. Ed Thompson, R-Pearland who introduced the vaping measure, believes that the law would help deal with student vaping internally, without a stretch to county resources or criminalizing youths for what he called "making a really dumb decision one time," according to the Houston Chronicle.

As the conversation around vaping in schools continues to evolve, school districts are grappling with finding the right balance between deterrence, punishment, and education, with the ultimate goal of safeguarding the health and wellbeing of their students.