Vaping Crisis in Schools: Urgent Action Needed to Protect Youth
Addiction Economy Thought for Today - here is our Addiction Economy working in real time - vapes.
Here in the times some more shocking statistics on vaping in schools. The article is mainly blames the kids for bringing them in and hiding them, and the parents for giving them to them because, as they have told it is better than smoking which they are most scared about.
The focus is on how to prevent them bringing them in with body searches and sanctions and stop them using with detection alarms.
All good stuff but this was preventable. The outcome was predictable about 6 months in from the very first disposable vapes and their almost instant inescapable availability.
New report: "Children using illegal drugs, drinking alcohol and vaping are more likely to be from wealthier families, according to a report published this week by the Social Mobility Commission, an independent government body.
It analysed NHS data and found that children aged 11 to 15 who admitted drinking alcohol, taking drugs or vaping were from higher socioeconomic groups. It said the results were “deeply concerning” BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE UNDERLYING CAUSES"
The underlying causes are, and always have been, crystal clear. Predatory companies marketing a highly addictive product to children in full view of everyone, ignored by policy makers because of the policy which said smokers should be the priority.
Understandable in the early days when children were not the target given the huge smoking deaths, but the lobbying continued too long.
As Joe Woof and I have been warning now for almost two years action is urgent. Vapes should be reattached to smoking and phased out alongside cigarettes with a medically agreed time lag. Plain packaging, flavours reduced to one fruit, one tobacco and one mint, no point of sale and sold under the counter along with cigarettes. This will also help make illegals stand out, which are currently displayed in the dazzling array of legals in shop windows.
Trade will turn to online stores which may be much harder to police and don't know how they get enforced. Anyone know?
Kids need help to quit NOW and need better information about vapes than the 'just say no' type approaches often tried.
Very disappointed in Labour being so slow to act on this. Let's hope it is this week.
Our Vaping Voices school wellbeing module idea is here - moving beyond 'vaping the facts' to a respectful and open debating format.
https://lnkd.in/eGQD7bpZ
Our 5 Recommendations to government here
https://lnkd.in/e77Etgaq
https://lnkd.in/eFBrRr-F