Background: In 2023, the state of Texas, USA passed House Bill 114, which mandatorily placed students found using e-cigarettes on public school premises in an off-campus Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). We examined adolescents’ awareness and support of the DAEP policy and factors associated with policy support. Methods: We surveyed adolescents attending Texas public schools ( N = 500). A generalized linear model examined factors associated with policy support. Results: Less than half of the students (41%) were aware of the policy, 38% deemed the policy as effective, and 28% perceived no change in e-cigarette use. Students were generally supportive of the policy ( M = 3.51, range: 1–5). Lower support was associated with current nicotine e-cigarette use, low harm perception of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) e-cigarettes, perceptions of peer approval, perceptions of e-cigarette use not being a problem in school, being unsure if e-cigarette use was a problem in school, and perceptions that the policy was not effective or uncertainty about its effectiveness. Adolescents who were older and identified as non-heterosexual also expressed lower policy support. Students reported the need for more e-cigarette education resources. Conclusion: Future efforts should assess policy effectiveness and continue providing e-cigarette prevention and cessation education focusing on e-cigarette health harm and dependency risks.
Ma et al. (Tue,) studied this question.