Kids vaping in classes and flushing vapes down bathroom, horror instructor survey reveals

More than 60% of teachers say that students are frequently leaving lessons to vape, a grim survey shows, with school staff saying the problem has got worse over the last year

More than 60% of teachers say that students are frequently leaving lessons to vape, a grim survey shows today.

Some eight in 10 school staff reported students gathering in the toilets to vape throughout the school day, while a shocking 17% of teachers stated that kids vape in the lesson itself. The research also found evidence that children as young as 10 years old have been reported using vapes regularly.

The NASUWT teachers’ union survey, which polled more than 5,000 UK teachers, found the problem was getting worse, with 52% of teachers observing an increase in vaping among pupils over the past year. Vaping is also a significant cause of damage to school buildings and property, with pupils hiding vapes causing damage to ceiling tiles and pupils flushing vapes causing expensive plumbing issues.

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NASUWT is calling for the government to fund school-based programs to prevent youth vaping and to provide clear guidance for schools on addressing vaping-related issues. Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, said: “The government’s plans to ban disposable vapes and enact age restrictions for vape purchase are urgently needed to uphold public health.

“It is clear that our children and young people are vulnerable to predatory marketing practices from vape manufacturers. We must also see further action on vape packaging, flavour restriction, and strict retail license penalties for non-compliance. In an age rife with misinformation, schools need support and resources to make sure pupils fully understand the dangers of tobacco and nicotine.”

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The government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, will ban vapes and nicotine products from being deliberately branded, promoted and advertised to children. This includes limiting flavours and descriptions and the type of packaging. Rogue retailers will face stronger enforcement and age verification will be strengthened, the Government says.

The bill will also ban children born from January 2009 onwards from ever being able to legally to buy cigarettes as the smoking age will rise by one year every year.

Single-use vapes will also be banned from June by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Ministers say disposable vapes are an inefficient use of critical resources and are often discarded as litter or thrown into non-recycled waste.

“Littering spoils our communities, introduces harmful substances into the soil, rivers and streams, and causes harm to biodiversity. When single-use vapes are thrown into black bins they often end up in landfill or are incinerated, which means critical resources are lost. They can also cause fires, which risks the safety of waste management workers, firefighters and the public,” the department said.

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