School Policy, Administrator Perceptions, and Student E-cigarette Use

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the relationship between school e-cigarette policy and e-cigarette use among students. Secondarily, we examined whether this relationship varied by administrator perceptions about e-cigarette use being "an issue." METHODS: Data were utilized from written school policies, a school tobacco surveillance study of 2755 students (N = 310,412), and administrator interviews in 54 Texas schools. RESULTS: When administrators perceived e-cigarettes as an issue, the odds of ever e-cigarette use, susceptibility to use e-cigarettes, and perceived peer use of e-cigarettes were 0.20-0.54 times lower for students attending schools that had an e-cigarette policy compared to those without a policy (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The impact of school policies on student e-cigarette use behavior is positive if policies are strongly implemented.