Whole school approach to vaping in schools
What do leaders and school governors need to know?
With incidents of vaping in school increasing, it is timely for leaders and governors to ensure their policy and practice is working effectively to reduce the chance of children and young people (CYP) using vapes. The senior leadership team (SLT) and governors should lead on fulfilling the statutory duty to promote CYP positive mental health and wellbeing, to do this they should be:
- Up to date with guidance and legislation around vaping including NICE guidelines and NHS advice, and the new government paper which sets out proposed actions they will take to tackle smoking and youth vaping - Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation
- Up-to-date with key facts and figures around CYP vaping including current prevalence, main reasons behind CYP choosing to vape and how education settings can play a key role in preventing CYP from vaping. The Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) resources provide a helpful overview
- Well informed on the specific and current vaping issues that affect their school or setting
- Involved in policy development and curriculum planning