Action on Smoking and Health" is a health charity dedicated to eliminating the harms caused by tobacco use. The organization has released an e-cigarette guide for schools in response to requests for assistance. This guide is intended to provide national guidance to schools and support staff in developing e-cigarette policies.
This guide was developed based on advice from teachers with expertise in health education and safety, aimed at supporting the implementation of evidence-based school policies.
According to the latest data, the proportion of children in the UK who use electronic cigarettes is on the rise, increasing from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022, while disposable electronic cigarettes are becoming increasingly popular. The number of children who admit to having tried smoking e-cigarettes has increased from 14% in 2020 to 16% in 2022. However, the vast majority of people under the age of 18 have never smoked or tried e-cigarettes, with only 1.9% having tried vaping once or twice.
The new guidelines contain valuable information to support schools in responding to changing attitudes and behaviors. The headline message is that e-cigarettes are not suitable for children. While they may aid smoking cessation, they should not be used by non-smokers. However, the guidelines also note that most children who try e-cigarettes have also tried smoking, and the risks of e-cigarettes are far lower than smoking.
In addition to the headlines of the curriculum, the briefing also includes facts about smoking and e-cigarettes, issues informing wider school policies and culture, and links to useful resources.
Deborah Arnott, CEO of ASH, stated that the new school e-cigarette guidelines recognize the growing concern about children using e-cigarettes. The guidelines aim to provide schools with the necessary information to formulate policies.
We understand that schools may find it challenging to address the issue of e-cigarettes, particularly as online promotions on social media platforms such as TikTok are contributing to its usage. A school-wide approach is necessary to address smoking and vaping, which should be included in the curriculum to emphasize the risks and arm children with factual information for them to make informed decisions. It is essential to remember that smoking poses significant health hazards.
The new guidelines have been welcomed by education leaders, including Diane Buckle, assistant director of education for the North Tyneside Council. She said, "The North Tyneside Council hopes to do everything we can to help schools address the issue of students increasingly using e-cigarettes.
It is very reassuring to know that the ASH guidelines were developed with the assistance of health educators, protection experts, teachers, and e-cigarette evidence experts. This is timely and much-needed. We will distribute these guidelines to all schools and encourage their use to ensure that they properly address the issue of youth e-cigarette use.
The new guidelines target designated safety and security leaders as well as other individuals tasked with developing school policies regarding electronic cigarettes.
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