Classrooms become frontlines in the fight against vaping as teachers are told to warn children as young as 11 about the dangers and addiction it can cause
- Schools are getting briefing packs from the government about the dangers of vaping
- Part of the Ministry of Health plans to curb the rise in the number of vaping children
Teachers should warn students as young as 11 that vaping is addictive and dangerous to prevent them from taking it up.
Schools will be getting briefing packs about the dangers of government vaping in the coming weeks.
They will warn young people about the addictiveness of nicotine and show that their brains may be more sensitive to side effects.
It’s part of the Department of Health’s (DoH) plans to curb the rise in the number of schoolchildren currently vaping.
Other plans include activities and short films to educate them about the risks. And measures could see schools equipped with vape alarms in loos.
Teachers should warn students as young as 11 that vaping is addictive and dangerous to prevent them from getting into it (stock image)
A senior government source told The Times: ‘The number of children vaping is probably higher than NHS figures suggest.
“It’s a serious concern and the vast majority of them probably wouldn’t smoke otherwise, but risk developing a nicotine addiction from vaping alone, so it’s good that we’re taking action.”
It comes a month after the government announced a new “illegal vapes enforcement squad” to crack down on underage vape sales.
They will remove illegal products from the shelves and at the border.
And do more product testing to ensure they comply with UK law.
Earlier this year, a Mail survey found that young people are buying illegal supersized vapes without a prescription from local convenience stores.
It is illegal to sell vapes containing nicotine to under-18s, but in some parts of the country many shops sell the devices to young people for around £5 – no questions asked.
It is illegal to sell vapes containing nicotine to under 18s, but in some parts of the country many shops sell the devices to young people for around £5 (stock image)
Some stores were found to sell devices more than five times the legal size, giving young users up to 3,500 puffs instead of the legal limit of between 600 and 800.
A DoH blog announced the crackdown in April: “The new national program will coordinate Trading Standards efforts across the country and collect intelligence on illegal activity.
“The team will remove illegal products from shelves and at our borders and test more products to ensure they comply with our rules.
“It will also carry out specific projects, such as trial purchases in convenience stores and vape shops.
“We are also developing a new resource pack for schools on vaping, which will be made available in July.”