Putnam sheriff issues civil citations for student vaping

Sheriff’s office announces vaping crackdown

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is cracking down on student vaping and issuing civil citations in response to the problem in local schools. The office has described student vaping as an “epidemic.”

The citations are civil rather than criminal. The announcement identifies student vaping as the conduct targeted by the enforcement effort.

What the action means

Civil citations are a form of enforcement that does not amount to a criminal charge. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is using them as part of its response to vaping among students.

The effort places the sheriff’s office in an enforcement role on a school-related health and safety issue. The action described by the office focuses on students who vape, rather than on a broader change to Florida law or county policy.

Next steps

Families, students and school officials will need to follow instructions connected to any citation issued by the sheriff’s office. The Action News Jax report reported on the crackdown.

The sheriff’s office’s action makes civil citations the immediate enforcement tool identified in the announcement. Any future notices from the office or local schools would clarify how the process will work for students and their families.