To say school went too far suspending him for a vape

Your post puts the school in a good light. Unlike yourself.

If he has no respect for your rules at home then he won't at school.
What do you expect them to do?
Parents dont take vapes seriously so schools definitely should .

@OriginalUsername2

Can you do us a favour and CHAT GBT about why vapes are unhealthy, and why some people might not want to be exposed to them. Especially growing children.

I’d love to see what you come up with.

#lungnodules

Either you raised 2 flawless humans or 2 liars who got good at hiding stuff from you as they knew you would lose your 💩

I agree that it was a harsh punishment. Vapes are literally everywhere among teens sadly, and as they’re so addictive it’s not as simple as issuing punishments and expecting kids to be able to stop. I mean how many adults can’t stop smoking / vaping, so why do we expect it to be so easy for teens? I don’t like the threat of exclusion either.

I don’t like to be so harsh, but you’re failing your son with your lazy parenting.

Xbox for three days? On what planet? You don’t sound bothered that he’s vaping and you expect him to occupy himself on the Xbox for three days despite being behind in school?

Shape up!!

Me too! You should follow up at home rather than bash the school

Not here to kick OP, but also not here for the framing of OP's son as Che Guevara bravely battling the system.

If he’s going to be bored not being on his Xbox then find jobs for him. Give him a list whether doing some gardening, cooking meals, shopping, cleaning, washing the car, a bit of DIY. Whatever needs doing and you feel he is capable of. Might just be the making of him to learn this.

😂 you needed chatgpt to express your opinion? 😂

Also, did you read sociology by any chance?

Op's son is not subversive, he is a very naught boy.

@Abdican

I am sorry that you are tired. Parenting is exhausting.

I am sorry that you feel like people are ripping into you. I dont think they are. I think people are trying to tell you that you are focusing on the wrong thing.

At the moment you are outraged at the school for suspending your son but the real issues are:

1. Your underage son is vaping - this is possibly illegal but definitely unhealthy, for your son and those around him.
2. You took the vape off him and he disregarded you entirely and got another one.
3. You seem scared to take the Xbox off him because of his unhappy reaction
4. He has a history or being “cheeky” in class. “Cheeky” is code name for not being compliant in structured, time sensitive situations like a school lesson / answering back to teachers / disturbing other students etc
5. He is behind in school and you dont seem to know why / what to do about this.

The above points are what you should focus on IMHO.

The suspension is deserved.

NO xbox while suspended on school for bad behaviour.

Contact the school and try to tackle why he is behind with school work.

Lastly, dont be scared of algebra. The internet is your friend. I am sure you are capable enough to help him with his school work even if you have to look up things on the internet or ask other parents for help.

Just parent your child. You seem to be making excuse after excuse. No wonder schools are struggling with not just the kids but the parents too.

Then absolutely blame away 🤣

Disagree. I have 2 grown kids who werent allowed to do illegal shit and they have grown up just fine. This idea that you must pander to your kids and let them make stupid lifechanging mistakes doesnt wash with me..Happy being a strict parent.

Unless the OPs first name is Donald and has a heavy spray tan.

I believe that parents should be supportive of the school particularly in the case of a zero tolerance policy.

Where is he getting the money from to buy vapes - stop his money source and for the time out of school he needs a timetable of school work he should be completing with you checking it daily.

Our school suspends anyone in the vicinity of a pupil with a vape, so no I don't think it is unusually harsh.

I don’t agree with teens vaping, but I also don’t think they are equivalent to snorting cocaine as some argue.

Teens will always push against restrictions- previously it was cigarettes and weed that were in vogue. Ironically, cigarettes are coming back in now due to all the restrictions on vapes.

Of course there should be education, but you are never going to stop it completely. In my view there are far more important issues for schools to deal with.

Jesus bit harsh. I don't think you can blame op for all of the worlds problems 🤣🤣

It’s clear from your subsequent posts op that you are trying.
but what I think you need to remember is that you’re his parent, you are there to parent him, not to be his friend.
it doesn’t matter if he’s bored.
it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t like you.
he needs to get up at same time as school and sit at the table with worksheets in front of him from 9-6pm for the 3 days. If he just stares in to space, then so be it.

Watch some old Brass Eye episodes.

(I’m pasting ChatGPT here, nobody come at me. It’s educational!)

A moral panic happens when:

1. Something new (or perceived as new) emerges – e.g., rave culture, violent video games, “video nasties,” or now vapes.
2. It’s framed as a threat – usually to “the children,” “family values,” or “society’s fabric.”
3. Media amplify it – sensational stories, scary headlines, pseudo-experts.
4. Politicians respond – rushing in with tough talk, bans, or regulations to appear protective.
5. Public anxiety grows – which justifies further regulation and makes the panic feel real.

Who benefits?

• Politicians – they get to be seen as defenders of public morality or safety, which is useful when they’re otherwise unpopular or lacking policy wins.
• Media – panic sells; outrage and fear drive clicks, views, and readership.
• Certain industries – sometimes a rival industry profits (e.g., tobacco companies benefit if vaping is restricted, just as the alcohol industry often lobbied against cannabis liberalisation).
• Regulators and think tanks – funding and relevance often flow toward the bodies that “protect us” from the panic.

Meanwhile, the groups under scrutiny—youth, subcultures, working-class communities, immigrants—rarely benefit. They get demonised, regulated, or pathologised.

He is needs consequences. I had similar with one of mine
Devices are gone for set period of time.
Does school work during the day, also had mine gardening and painting.
He discovered much easier to be in school

You are everything that is wrong with our schools and civilisation as a whole.

Not rtft but honestly OP, would you feel the same way if it was a packet of cigarettes or a bottle of whisky?

Be more concerned over who gave it to him (he's under aged so selling/giving it is a crime) and also it's fast becoming the "new" lung disease cause. If you care about his future breathing ability then you need to read him the riot act.

Don't do the crime if you can't do the time