Vaping at senior / secondary school

[Bosherto]

There seems to be a lot of vaping at my DD's school, she says mostly in the toilets at break times. I wondered if this is true at other schools and what the schools do to crack down. My DD's school seems to have staff on duty outside the toilets but it doesn't seem to be working if so many of them are vaping.

Yes its a problem in my sins secondary and I have heard the private school is just the same and is investung in vape detectors.

Yes also problem at private schools. although not tolerated. First offence is parents informed and detention, if it continues then they are suspended.

Evidently loads of them vape, they obviously think it's cool. DS doesn't (I do believe him) and hates it.

I dread to think what this is doing to their lungs/bodies. I just get a feeling this is going to be a health crisis worse than smoking. I don't understand why there isn't more info/government warnings, Although maybe tests show no problems?

The Heads should be emailing parents and stating that if the pupil will be given three strikes...

1, written warning
2, suspension,
3, police involvement

Government should tax these things and tax them stupidly so that they are unaffordable. They should also do the same with cigarettes and alcohol. And use the money to fund the NHS

And as several of us have pointed out, it's often the parents buying them for their children.
A warning email is of no use.

We have individual self contained cubicles open to the corridor with CCTV outside and a member of staff on duty at break and lunch. One hint is 5 kids coming out of a single cubicle followed by a fruity smell.

Yep big problem here. Dts are in y7 and there have been kids vaping in class. The behaviour has taken a massive nosedive since covid and it is way worse in the girls school than the boys (sister schools split site, DH teaches at the boys).

These are 'outstanding' schools in an affluent area.

There's plenty, easiest way to get to it is google vaping PHE or vaping GOV as it's not easy to find on either website

Massive problem at both of my DC's schools ( one at state and one private )

Private school has a zero tolerance approach with instant suspension if found in possession of a cake on school premises. Doesn't make a bit of difference when they are being sold them by independent shop keepers or from yeh dealers who hang around the streets near the train station. It's a problem right from Y7.

Sadly both my DC have been vaping even though I don't allow them to have them in the house and if I find one I dispose of it.

Have talked about it about it and my DS ( state school) does it only when in a group as he just wants to fit in. He would never ever have started smoking real cigarettes to fit in though - he hates them whereas vapes taste nice and sweet to him.

DD ( private school) is more of a problem as she actually says it helps with her anxiety ( she also self harms and told my DH that if we let her vape at home she may not need to self harm).

It's a bloody nightmare. I just know that she'd have been smoking real cigarettes if vapes didn't exist.

One of the girls in ds year recently got caught and suspended for vaping. He's year 7. I was pretty shocked tbh, I always thought it was something just adults did. I've never seen anyone under the age of 25ish either smoking or vaping for a long time.

The police aren't interested, even if older students are selling them to under age students.

In general, the police right now are overstretched like all public services, and if they can offload their duties onto schools then they will.

We've had sexual assault allegations made by under age pupils where the police are reluctant to get involved. For something like vaping, or even selling cigarettes, they are very much not interested.

Year 6 vaping in a primary locally so can well believe it!

Vaping is a problem in virtually every secondary school in the country and policing it is a colossal drain of staff time. In extreme cases schools have to lock the toilets during lesson times (with one or two made available and monitored for children with a medical need for a toilet pass) and regular patrols of the main toilets during break and lunchtime. Toilets have to be regularly searched as students hide their vapes behind cisterns and above ceiling tiles. Pastoral teams have links with addiction services to help children who are physically addicted to nicotine.