100% TFS Toolkit – Policy Violation Consequences

Your district's new 100% Tobacco-Free Schools policy should include clear action steps to take when policy violations occur. The Model 100% TFS Policy includes clear language about what happens to students, staff and visitors who violate it. While each district's policy may differ, here are some examples of how policy violations can be handled for all groups.

Students:

  • Notify parents or guardians of all violations committed by the student and all actions taken by the school.
  • Refer students to the guidance counselor, school nurse or other counseling service for screening, information, counseling and referral to cessation programs. The best way to help a student smoker is to encourage them to quit.
  • Consider sending student violators to an Alternative To Suspension (ATS) program. ATS programs provide education on the addiction process and options for quitting, but are not cessation programs. You can download a curriculum for how to implement an ATS program here. Please note: before using this program, a school representative must attend a training workshop with the American Lung Association. To locate your local ALA office, visit www.lungusa.org.
  • Offer cessation classes for students who want to quit. The 2002 National Youth Tobacco Survey showed that 55.8% of students who currently smoke want to quit, and 58.2% have tried to quit in the last year. If cessation classes are not readily available, provide North Carolina Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) information. Try to arrange for someone at the school (i.e. school nurse, counselor, tobacco educator) to follow up with students who are motivated to quit to check on progress and reinforce resources/support. You can help them.
  • As a last resort, suspend student violators. Suspension rarely helps students overcome tobacco addiction and is best used when a student has several prior violations or refuses other measures. Counseling should always accompany suspension, and in-school suspension is preferred to out-of-school suspension.

Staff:

  • Encourage school staff to talk with their doctor or another health professional about their tobacco use. Provide staff violators with information on the dangers of tobacco use and refer them to resources on how to quit.
  • After the first offense, consider staff violations to be insubordination and use the same actions as for any other policy offense.

Visitors:

Utilize a progressive enforcement policy using these steps:

  • Politely ask the individual to stop and refer them to the 100% TFS policy (point them to signs nearby if possible).
  • If the person refuses to stop, request they leave the site of the school function.
  • If the person refuses to leave or is a repeat violator, refer to the school resource officer or local law enforcement authorities. The person may then be subject to a fine or other measure, depending on the language of your school district's TFS policy.