NSW education authorities have turned their attention to vaping in schools in a bid to tackle the problem.
Since October, it has been illegal for retailers in Australia to sell vaping products without a doctor’s prescription. To this effect, state law enforcers have been conducting spot checks in convenience stores, petrol stations, and tobacconists by recruiting undercover teenagers to attempt to purchase the products.
Vicky Sheppeard, from the New South Wales public health unit at South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, said the spot checks were prompted by a rise in vaping among high school students, which she said had increased significantly in 2021. “We are speaking with principals who are very aware and concerned that there are growing numbers of young people vaping.”
“Unfortunately we understand that, while the user does increase with age, it is not limited to the younger students, and we have had reports of children in primary school vaping,” added Sheppeard.
Looking for a “whole of government approach” to tackling vaping in schools
Similarly, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell has announced a range of actions to tackle the problem in schools. “It’s a concern. I mean, clearly we are seeing more vaping among young people; e-cigarettes in schools are a growing concern,” she said. “Schools are smoke-free environments and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes, are prohibited on school grounds.”
Mitchell added that the Education Department is in discussions with the NSW Health to find a “whole of government approach” to tackling the problem. “I do think there needs to be a whole of government – and indeed, a whole of community approach – to how we educate our kids about the dangers of vaping, but also about the potential legal impacts as well.”
Source: https://www.vapingpost.com/
