Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to expect schools to teach children about vaping and smoking harms?

61 replies

badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:28

My parents were chatting to my children and asked whether they were taught about the harms of smoking /vaping/nicotine pouches at school . They said (age 12, 14 and 15) that they hadn't had any lessons covering that topic.

According to my son in year 10 over 50% of children in his year vape.

If it was just one child I would have assumed they had snoozed through the lesson but for all three to say the topic has never been covered surprised me.

I do talk to them about it at home (not least because they are all asthmatic), but AIBU to think it helps for them to get these messages reinforced at school ?

OP posts:
dingywhites · 11/08/2026 08:53

Vapes should never have been allowed to be sold, apart from on prescription. I can't believe this has been allowed to happen TBH.

Unfortunately teenagers are always going to be more influenced by their peers than by their teachers or parents.

ChickenBananaBanana · 11/08/2026 08:50

badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:45

Once again, its in my op that I do teach my children these things.

But public health issues need to be addressed through education and a key part of that is through schools

Show quote history

The kids weren't listening because it is covered in school.

sadeyedladyofthelowlands63 · 11/08/2026 08:50

It will have been covered as part of the PSHE curriculum (primary as well as secondary).
One of my Year 11 classes summarised PHSE as 'Sex and Smoking miss" 😁.

HollyGolightly4 · 11/08/2026 08:49

badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:45

Once again, its in my op that I do teach my children these things.

But public health issues need to be addressed through education and a key part of that is through schools

Show quote history

Once again, they are addressed in education.

Needmorelego · 11/08/2026 08:49

When it comes to PHSE lessons what a lot of teens actually hear in the lesson is "Blah blah blah.... don't do that. Blah blah blah..... that's dangerous."
They don't listen and pay attention because they believe they know it all already.
Parents think schools aren't teaching certain things because their children say so but 9 times out of 10 it was because teens treat PHSE as a doss lesson and don't pay attention.

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:47

badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:45

Once again, its in my op that I do teach my children these things.

But public health issues need to be addressed through education and a key part of that is through schools

Show quote history

Health issues are, I’ve already posted the statutory framework that schools have to follow

Original poster
badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:45

Soontobe60 · 11/08/2026 08:44

Things that are the parent's responsibility to teach their children:
toilet training
good manners
limiting screen time / internet safety
puberty
sex education
respect
financial education
healthy living
being a responsible citizen
having a work ethic

Once again, its in my op that I do teach my children these things.

But public health issues need to be addressed through education and a key part of that is through schools

OP posts:
Pedaling · 11/08/2026 08:45

Of course they will be taught about smoking and vaping and the dangers of doing so. I find it odd you're so certain that these infrequent lessons would be more effective in deterring them from vaping than their own family.

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:45

Jordan North did a good documentary that we use in schools, talks about the dangers of illegal ones
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001xj1p

Lomonald · 11/08/2026 08:44

Member984815 · 11/08/2026 08:36

I'm sure it's spoken about , but really it's parents responsibility and school will back that up .

I am sure it will be, I smoked in school at 14 till I left, and we had it drummed into us how terrible smoking was, teenagers don't care they think they are invincible,

Soontobe60 · 11/08/2026 08:44

Things that are the parent's responsibility to teach their children:
toilet training
good manners
limiting screen time / internet safety
puberty
sex education
respect
financial education
healthy living
being a responsible citizen
having a work ethic

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:43

DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat · 11/08/2026 08:42

Where are they getting money for vapes?!

You’ll be surprised how many shops sell dodgy cheap ones, it’s a massive issue. A neighbouring school to ours had pupils hospitalised due to spiked vapes.

DriveVerySlowlyPastNumber23IWantThemToSeeMyHat · 11/08/2026 08:42

Where are they getting money for vapes?!

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:42

Your school’s PSHE curriculum should be on the website

insomniacalways · 11/08/2026 08:42

I've got an 11 and 15-year-old; it is covered throughout their education in age appropriate ways - everything you list is within National Curricula, including PHSE / RHSE . They have also had days every year on water safety , knife crime, drugs, sex and healthy relationships, and everything else the media and parents claim their children have not been educated on. Nicotine pouches too but the best education was the kid who collapsed on thier school field after too many nicotine pouches. Kids know they just think they are invincible.

Original poster
badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:40

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:38

It’s on the PSHE curriculum. I’m a PSHE lead and have taught many lessons on this. A current issue is the number of illegal vapes and those contaminated with other substances like spice

Yes this is one of the things we've been discussing with them. But it hadn't been flagged at school

So it sounds like it's a failing of the PSHE curriculum at their school?

OP posts:
Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:40

Statutory PSHE framework
pshe-association.org.uk/guidance/ks1-5/programme-of-study

AgentJohnson · 11/08/2026 08:40

Is there anything that isn't expected to be schools responsibility?

This.

Vaping is banned in schools, you’d have to be an idiot not to know why. Kids vape, despite knowing the risks. It’s the parent’s responsibility to continually reinforce the dangers.

Original poster
badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:39

menopausalmare · 11/08/2026 08:37

Year 8 are taught about lungs and smoking in science. Vaping is tricky to teach are there is very little data on this relatively new habit, apart from references to popcorn lungs (again, very little data). Maybe your sons weren't paying attention? Feel free to talk to them in your role as a parent.

If you read the op you will see I made it quite clear that I do.

But if half their year group are vaping (and this is in a wealthy MC catchment at a high performing school) something has gone badly wrong. That's far more than the percentage of children who used to smoke when I was a teen

OP posts:
Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:39

badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:37

I literally said I do parent mine. We discuss these things a lot

But it's weird that there's no messaging around the harms of vaping. Mine say they are told they are not allowed to vape but not that vaping is harmful

Show quote history

There is lots of messaging about the harms of vaping

MagicThanks · 11/08/2026 08:39

We do!

Happytaytos · 11/08/2026 08:38

They are taught it. I have taught it to my tutor group and PSHCE group this year. When they have the lesson I get "miss we've done this loads". So either your kids are lying, not listening or haven't got a good curriculum.

Atschjvkbgj · 11/08/2026 08:38

It’s on the PSHE curriculum. I’m a PSHE lead and have taught many lessons on this. A current issue is the number of illegal vapes and those contaminated with other substances like spice

DomPom47 · 11/08/2026 08:38

Covered in science and PSHE.

Original poster
badsmells · 11/08/2026 08:38

fashionqueen0123 · 11/08/2026 08:32

I think it’s covered in phse when I last looked at what that covered.

But yes vaping needs to be covered it’s absolutely ridiculous how the government have let it just replace smoking instead of being a tool for people quitting.

Exactly I think the problem is vaping is somehow seen as benign.

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread