Teach Secondary Issue 14.8

BREATHING SPACE Dr Marc Picot highlights the growing seriousness of student vaping and offers some suggestions for what schools can do to tackle the problem T he findings of a recent survey conducted among British 11- to 17-year-olds by Ash (Action on Smoking and Health, the UK’s leading anti-smoking public health charity) present a worrying picture. 20% of respondents stated they had tried vaping, amounting to an estimated 1.1 million. 7% (estimated to be around 400,000) currently vape regularly, with 40% of that group – an estimated 160k – vaping daily. The likelihood of vaping use increases with age; 12% of 16- to 17-year- olds currently vape, rising to 15% of 18-year-olds (see tinyurl.com/ts148-VP1) . A 2025 NASUWT survey further found that 85% of teachers consider vaping to be a significant issue on their premises. According to teachers, the situation has become so severe that 54% believe they’ve seen students skipping lessons to vape, while the resultant effects of nicotine have left 35% witnessing students unable to focus in class (see tinyurl. com/ts148-VP2). To combat this growing challenge, schools need support. Here, I want to highlight some anti-vaping resources and strategies, as well as some methods for creating a mindset that will help students avoid vaping in the first instance. With appropriate curriculum- based preventative education in place, and support available for children known to be vaping, your school can make real progress against the vaping crisis. Vaping and its risks The process of vaping sees users inhale an aerosol loaded with harmful substances. The mix includes nicotine, heavy metals such as nickel and lead, and in the event of overheating, potentially traces of formaldehyde – a known cancer-causing chemical. Overall, 20 chemicals are typically found in vape juice, increasing to as many as 60 once it’s heated and inhaled. Even worse, recent media reporting suggests that in some regions, vapes and liquids used in schools have been found to contain the illicit synthetic substance spice (see tinyurl.com/ ts148-VP3) or other drugs, such as ketamine and MDMA. Children are particularly vulnerable to unregulated and harmful vape products, since they will often seek to obtain vapes and vape juice from illicit sources, be they unscrupulous retailers, drug dealers or online retailers operating via social media accounts. There are significant health concerns involved that extend beyond nicotine use alone. Vaping andmental health The human brain keeps developing until around the age of 25. Exposure to nicotine during these crucial years can damage the natural process of brain development, leaving long-term effects on an individual’s attention span, ability to learn, moods and impulse control. Though the impacts are as yet unproven in the UK, other countries, including the US and Australia, have undertaken studies that found teens who vape were up to three times more likely to take up regular smoking. Teens who vape daily will 42 teachwire.net/secondary