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OCPS unveils vaping‑prevention campaign funded by legal settlement; student slogan chosen
Summary
Orange County Public Schools presented a districtwide vape‑prevention initiative built on awareness, education and prevention pillars and funded in part by a $4M+ class‑action settlement; students selected the slogan 'Vaping clouds your future, choose clear skies.'
Orange County Public Schools on May 12 outlined a multi‑component vaping‑prevention initiative the district says will draw on settlement money and community partnerships to target rising vaping among students.
Karen Furno, senior executive director of Access and Opportunity, told the school board that the district has allocated funds from a class‑action settlement (more than $4,000,000 awarded to OCPS) to support staff positions, educational resources and outreach. Furno said the district’s approach rests on three pillars: awareness (family and community education), education (an interactive Canvas course required for students cited for vaping beginning in the 2026–27 school year) and prevention (school‑based campaigns and early intervention).
Furno cited data drawn from national and district sources: the National Youth Tobacco Survey shows vaping prevalence of about 4.8 percent among Florida middle‑school students and 10.4 percent among Florida high‑school students; district incident data reported that this year the district recorded 4,73 (1.3 percent) of middle‑school students and 17,92 (3.5 percent) of high‑school students as being caught vaping — figures Furno presented as illustrative of a rising trend in younger grades.
The campaign includes student engagement: a district slogan contest attracted more than 6,500 entries and more than 11,000 student votes; the winning message, "Vaping clouds your future, choose clear skies," was created by Mia Rodriguez from Liberty Middle School.
Parent Candace McKnight, who shared her son Walker’s vaping‑related illness and death, spoke to the board and was described by Furno as a powerful witness whose family’s experience underscored the urgency of prevention efforts.
Board members commended the presentation and asked about operational details. Member Gallo thanked staff for using settlement funds and asked about vape detectors and cessation resources; Furno said staff positions were part of the settlement allocation and that the district is exploring partnerships for family cessation supports and planning to extend campaigns to middle and elementary schools with age‑appropriate materials. Members also expressed interest in outcome tracking for restorative‑practice and prevention programs; Furno said the district collects feedback from participating schools and is expanding in‑person professional learning to improve implementation consistency.
What’s next: The district will roll out campaign elements across high schools first, extend banners and pledges to middle and elementary settings with age‑appropriate messaging, require completion of an interactive Canvas course for students disciplined for vaping in 2026–27, and continue to use settlement dollars for staffing and materials.
