‘Huge uptick in vaping’: Santa Rosa district receives $1.37 million anti-tobacco grant

The sharp rise in popularity of e-cigarettes among American teens in recent years has parents and educators scratching their heads over how best to intervene and reduce their usage.

Sonoma County’s largest district, Santa Rosa City Schools, will forge ahead on the issue this spring after it received a $1.37 million anti-tobacco grant from the state this month. The money will be spent on vaping detectors, personnel, signs and data support over a span of three years.

High school administrators in the district have reported an increase in vaping among students in the past year, which is partially attributed to wildfire stress, district officials said.

“Santa Rosa City Schools has seen increased trauma in our community after the 2017 wildfires, which can often lead to substance use. We are grateful for this grant and the opportunity to increase the education, intervention and prevention of tobacco use - and especially vaping - among our students,” said Steve Mizera, assistant superintendent of student and family services

The district was one of 65 local government agencies across the state to receive the grant, funded by the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act. The act was established after voters in 2016 approved Proposition 56, which increased the cigarette tax by ?$2 a pack.

“It is imperative that we continue to curb illegal youth tobacco sales, and these grants will aid our local communities in their preventative efforts,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said.

E-cigarette usage among high school students increased by ?900 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to a 2016 ?U.S. Surgeon General report. Food and Drug Administration data indicated a 75 percent increase between 2017 and 2018, according to the Washington Post.

The exact amount of the grant is $1,374,768.

“We are so happy to get what we got,” said Mary Ann Ayala, director of student and family engagement, who wrote the grant application. “Every single site says there’s a huge uptick in vaping.”

Pending a finalized grant budget from the Department of Justice, the district hopes to hire several positions with the grant, including five campus supervisors and a coordinator with a specific focus on tobacco prevention.

“The tobacco intervention and prevention teacher and campus supervisors will work with students who are found to be using tobacco or vaping, ideally in order to help them create behavior changes,” Ayala said.

The funds will also be used to place anti-tobacco and anti-vaping signs at all ?24 schools in the district of 16,000 students. Smoking and vaping detectors will be piloted at some school sites, as well. The grant will also fund intervention and prevention training, along with data support.

“Schools are not looking to increase punishment for using tobacco or vaping at schools, but to educate students, and also parents,” Ayala said.

Ayala said vaping detectors would likely be placed in school bathrooms where students have used e-cigarettes.

You can reach Staff Writer Susan Minichiello at 707-521-5216 or susan.minichiello@pressdemocrat.com.