A group of teenagers in Skipton have launched a campaign to tackle the harmful rise of vaping in schools.
Recent figures revealed around one in three children aged 13 to 15 have at least tried vaping in North Yorkshire, despite the sale of vapes being illegal to under 18s in the same way that the sale of tobacco is.
Members of Skipton Youth Council, a community organisation for young people backed by North Yorkshire Council, want to stop the damage vapes are doing to their friends’ health.
Youth council chair James Neill told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that unlike cigarettes, many young people don’t realise the health risks involved.
Although vapes don’t contain deadly tar associated with cigarettes, scientists say nicotine exposure can harm developing brains and lead to cognitive deficits, memory damage and poor sleep.
James said:
“Many people think it’s like a sweet with 2,000 flavours, or it’s a cool thing you can do. There’s a lot of peer pressure.”
He said during his time at school vaping increased dramatically, with lots of children vaping in toilets or outside as they were going to and from school.
Some have pointed to the Covid pandemic as a turning point in the rise of vapes with children having nothing better to do when bored at home during lockdown.
Teachers have also suggested that as children have come out of the pandemic, they have turned to vapes as a safety blanket of sorts as they deal with anxiety.
James said the youth council has undertaken surveys and identified underage vaping in Skipton as a major problem.
They have formulated a campaign that includes working with trading standards, writing newsletters to parents, petitioning the government and raising awareness within schools.
The youth council also hopes to raise around £6,000 to install 30 vape alarms at local schools and colleges.
James described the alarms as an effective way of deterring usage inside school. He said: “They’re a bit like a smoke alarm but are more sophisticated. When vaping has been detected, it sends an alarm to reception so staff can go there.”
James said it’s crucial that more is done to raise awareness about the harm vaping can do to young minds and bodies.
He added:
“I’ve never seen someone smoke cigarettes at school, it’s much more about vaping. The NHS has pushed vaping as a better alternative, that’s the heart of the issue and young people have taken it the wrong way.”
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