School personnel’s experiences with implementing Texas House Bill 114 on vaping: A qualitative study

Background: In 2023, the US state of Texas passed a bill on vaping in school – House Bill 114 (HB 114) – which took effect in Texas public schools on 1 September of that year. HB 114 mandates that any student caught vaping in school be placed on a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). The efficacy of HB 114 may be contingent, at least in part, on the manner in which it is implemented at the school level. This study examined school personnel’s experiences implementing HB 114 in Texas public schools. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 school personnel performing a variety of roles in a Texas public school district. Findings: Thematic analysis of interview data revealed eight themes covering three topics of interest. School personnel reported mixed attitudes towards HB 114 and expressed concern about students adopting more sophisticated covert behaviours to continue vaping undetected. Although vaping prevalence was not measured directly, school personnel did not believe that the policy was reducing the prevalence of student vaping. Schools used diverse strategies to inform students and parents about the policy (e.g. flyers, emails, and social media posting). While some middle and high schools provided vaping prevention education and training for students and school personnel, elementary schools almost exclusively did not have one. The most often cited facilitators for policy implementation were school personnel being cooperative and having the funding to purchase vape detectors. Barriers include limited space and staffing in DAEP, the need for training for school personnel on vaping, and financial strain for more vape detectors. Conclusions: Findings suggest future efforts discouraging vaping should provide additional resources (e.g. financial support) to schools, update school personnel on vaping, offer more prevention and cessation education, and call for more parental and community engagement.