Student‑led vaping task force proposes education, enforcement and partnerships to curb school vaping

A student‑led task force presented its recommendations to the Sarasota County School Board on July 22, urging a coordinated mix of discipline, classroom education and community partnerships to reduce vaping among middle‑ and high‑school students.

The task force was led this past year by recent Riverview High School graduate Sebastian Gerstel, who told the board the effort brought together students, law enforcement, the health department, teachers and parents to create a multi‑pronged response.

“It's so much bigger than vaping,” Gerstel said. “It affects not just the students who actually are addicted or on it. It affects our staff. It affects our families. It affects the students who don't even do it. And that's why this is such a big issue for us.”

Three priorities: enforce, educate, eradicate

- Enforce: The task force reviewed discipline language in the student code of conduct related to tobacco, nicotine and drug possession. The group recommended clear, consistent consequences while coupling disciplinary responses with rehabilitative options. Gerstel said the goal is to be “tough, but … fair,” and to use discipline as a bridge to recovery rather than merely punishment.

- Educate: The group recommended replacing annual or single 40‑minute assemblies with shorter, modular video lessons tailored by grade band. For high schools the plan calls for eight short videos (about five minutes each) focused on vaping, addiction, legal consequences and healthy choices; twelfth‑grade programming would include a longer documentary‑style piece modeled on projects such as the Fentanyl Project.

- Eradicate: The task force proposed strengthened partnerships with law enforcement, the health department, Team Court and community organizations to reduce the flow of products to minors and to expand diversion and treatment referrals. Gerstel said North Port’s youth‑led groups and local public‑health partners strengthened the task force’s recommendations and volunteered to help implement outreach and peer‑mentoring programs.

Students, staff and partners

Gerstel and board members discussed technology options such as restroom sensors and AI‑enabled monitoring pilots. Dr. Green and others noted sensors can help identify repeat problem areas, though the district would need to evaluate structural and camera integration costs and privacy implications before wider deployment.

The sheriff’s office and Team Court have agreed to partner on enforcement and second‑chance diversion referrals; the task force aims to increase Team Court referrals for repeat violations. The Health Department offered prevention resources and local clubs such as North Port’s Drug‑Free Youth joined meetings and outreach activities.

What’s next

The district plans to form a summer work group to review curriculum options for grades 5–8 and produce the video modules for high school use. The task force also recommended parent materials and back‑to‑school reminders that explain signs of vaping, available resources and community partners. The district also intends to pilot school‑level mentorship clubs to give students peer‑to‑peer support.

Quotes

“We want the student to be engaged,” Gerstel said of the proposed videos. “We're gonna keep them engaged. We're gonna make it worth their time.”

Ending

Board members praised the student leadership and asked staff to continue planning implementation details, including cost estimates for technology pilots and the schedule for rolling out the education modules before the start of the school year.