Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Judge and Mountain Home officials tell lawmakers youth vaping is straining schools and juvenile courts
Summary
A Benton County circuit judge and Mountain Home school officials told the Senate committee that concealable vaping devices, instances of THC in cartridges and a rise in school arrests are straining school staff and juvenile justice resources; schools described counseling and Saturday programs as mitigation but asked for more state support.
Circuit Judge Thomas Smith and staff from Mountain Home School District described how youth vaping and refillable cartridges with unknown contents are affecting schools and juvenile justice systems.
Judge Smith, who presides over juvenile court in Benton County, said schools and law enforcement report increased possession and use of vaping devices among students. "We have to get the vape away from the kids," he said, warning that current penalties for nicotine devices (typically small fines) provide limited tools for intervention. He added that some school arrests now involve devices…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
