The Dangers of Vaping
Last week in assembly we were joined by representatives from our local NHS Trust who spoke to our students about the dangers of vaping. There has been a disturbing rise in vaping amongst young people, with vaping products deliberately being targeted at a younger audience, enticing children to try e-cigarettes. The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine that can seriously damage our lungs over time. There is also very little understanding on the other long term health effects of vaping, since it is a newer trend, which could lead to serious health issues if the habit is maintained into adulthood. Our students were kept informed of these potential dangers to their health and wellbeing and asked to take time to consider why it is illegal for children under the age of 18 to be sold vapes in the UK.
Smoking and vaping equipment, including e-cigarettes are prohibited under our Trust Smoking & Vaping Policy. Any student found with such paraphernalia will have it confiscated and disposed of and receive disciplinary sanctions in accordance with the policy.