Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

Tobacco-Use Prevention, YVAPE, and Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion

As we approach the new year, I want to thank you for your continued commitment to supporting the health and success of California’s students. While our state has made meaningful progress in reducing youth substance use, the use of nicotine and marijuana products among young people remains a concern that requires our collective attention.

The 2024 California Youth Tobacco Survey found that 16 percent of high school students have tried vaping and 5 percent currently vape, which shows improvement from 18.3 percent and 5.9 percent in 2023. Likewise, lifetime marijuana use decreased from 23 percent to 19.6 percent, and current marijuana use declined from 10.4 percent to 7.9 percent. These reductions are encouraging, yet thousands of students continue to be impacted by nicotine and marijuana use.

To address these behaviors constructively, the California Department of Education (CDE) funds Youth Vaping Alternative Program Education (YVAPE). YVAPE is a free, evidence-informed alternative to suspension that offers live phone and video coaching support to students who have been found using nicotine or marijuana on campus. The program also includes educational resources and parental engagement components. For more information, please visit the YVAPE website at https://yvape.org/en/.

The CDE strongly supports the use of alternatives to suspension and expulsion to help students remain engaged in school while addressing the root causes of substance use. Suspension should be considered only as a last resort within a tiered intervention approach. Programs like YVAPE provide schools with effective options that promote accountability, education, and student well-being.

Additional prevention, cessation, and intervention resources are available through the CDE Tobacco-Use Prevention Education (TUPE) Office on the TUPE website at https://www.tupeca.org/.

For more information, please see the YVAPE flyer at https://yvape.org/static/media/resources/YVAPEFlyer_09302025.pdf and the YVAPE brochure at https://yvape.org/static/media/resources/YVAPEBrochure_09302025.pdf. We encourage you to consider using YVAPE in lieu of suspension.

If you have any questions, please contact Francisco Michel, School Health Education Consultant, TUPE Office, at fmichel@cde.ca.gov.

Thank you for your continued leadership and partnership in supporting the health and future of California’s students.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction