For a tobacco policy to be comprehensive, the discipline plan must be specific and progressive. Many policies focus on suspension as a form of disciplinary action, however, progressive discipline plans start with supportive actions. Supportive actions include educational opportunities, counseling, and student-parent conferences. As a progressive policy, we recommend only recommend suspension be utilized after supportive options have been discarded.

Here is an example of some of the protocols we recommend for escalating violations:

FIRST OFFENSE:

• Notification of parent/guardian by telephone or written communication
• Conference with student

SECOND OFFENSE:

• Conference with student and parent
• Individual counseling session with school nurse or counselor, including referral to cessation services and No Use at School Plan

THIRD OFFENSE OR MORE:

• Required school or community service
• Progressive discipline assignments (found in the 24/7 toolkit)

More options can be found in the 24/7 toolkit.

Supportive discipline should always be a component of any disciplinary measure. We recommend continuing different supportive avenues rather than simply increasing the punitive nature of the punishment. Remember, tobacco is addicting, and there can be many reasons why a student may be experimenting with or regularly using tobacco. 24/7 is a great resource to schools, providing several recommendations along with resources for cessation programs to help ensure your discipline plan is effective.

1. Blog
2. Crafting A Progressive Discipline Plan