A quarter of schoolchildren are vaping, headteacher warns MPs

Publication Source

1. Schools forced to take action in toilets due to child vaping, MPs hear | Independent

2. Children skipping lessons to vape, MPs are told | The Times

3. Schools are having to swap out smoke detectors to stop vaping kids setting off alarms, headteachers say | Daily Mail

4. A quarter of pupils are vaping, headteacher tells MPs | Sky News

5. Pre-teens potentially being drawn into vaping, Lincolnshire head tells MPs | ITV News

Some schools are having to switch smoke detectors to heat sensors to prevent vaping by children setting off alarms during lessons and exams, MPs have heard.

The Health and Social Care Committee was told about vaping rates in schools, with headteachers being forced to monitor toilets due to the number of children using e-cigarettes.

In evidence to the MPs’ inquiry on youth vaping, Laranya Caslin, headteacher at St George’s Academy in Sleaford, which teaches children aged 11 to 18, told of her problems in tackling youth vaping.

Also giving evidence to the committee were representatives from the UK vaping industry and experts from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPH) and Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).

Mrs Caslin told MPs: “We have a significant proportion of students vaping and they’re vaping regularly and, in some cases, making excuses to leave lessons to go to the toilet to vape.

“I think we have seen across our catchment area a significant increase (in vaping).

“My head student team would estimate the proportion to be around 25% of students at the school (who) are vaping and the local police – who we work really closely with – would echo that from their experience in the market square around the town.