Video: Risks of vaping outlined in bid to stop spiralling numbers of pupils taking up habit in Cambridgeshire

Jan 10, 2024

The dangers of vaping have been laid out to pupils across Fenland in a bid to halt the spiralling numbers of young people taking up the habit.

In days gone by students would sneak behind the bike sheds for a crafty cigarette in their break times these days they are just as likely to lay their e-cigarette on the desk and have a puff or two in the toilets.

The more open attitude to vaping according to healthy schools officers, whose aim is to curb the epidemic of use among minors, is because not only does it have 'street cred' but it also has a reputation of being 'safe' compared to cigarettes.

Paige Furnell, a healthy schools officer and smoke practitioner who works for the Healthy Schools Cambridgeshire and Peterborough initiative is among those visiting schools to deliver 'Catch your breath' assemblies to children not only in secondary schools but also the area's primary schools too.

So far they have visited 13 primary and 14 secondary schools across the county including Cromwell Community College, Neale-Wade Academy, Olive Academy – Wisbech and Thomas Clarkson Academy have received Catch Your Breath workshops, assemblies, or intervention/cessation since the service's creation in November 2021.

And Benwick Primary, Glebelands Academy, and Guyhirn Primary Years 5 or 6 have completed the Catch Your Breath – 90-Minute Workshop.

She said: "There is no doubt that vaping is aimed at children and young people. The flavours and the packaging make it look appealing and there are no health warnings on the packets like you get with cigarettes.

"We are trying to give pupils the facts - it is a stark message - there are 60 known cancer causing chemicals contained in the vape liquid, but people assume that because it is fruity it must be OK."

Children as young as 10 and 11 are taking up the habit and Paige explained the aim of going into primary schools is to try to provide the pupils with facts and give them the tools they need to avoid peer pressure when it comes to vaping as well as smoking.

Paige and the rest of the team deliver 90 minute interactive workshops as well as targeted cessation interventions working with individuals who are already involved in vaping or smoking.

The ultimate aim is to have a whole school approach taken by both the secondary schools and their feeder primaries to discourage smoking and vaping behaviour.

Figures show an upward trend in the number of young people vaping.

In a health related behaviour survey carried out in Cambridgeshire in 2021 14% of pupils admitted to at least trying vaping, while 2% said they regularly vaped (at least once a week).

In the same survey last year the number of pupils who had tried vaping had risen to 21% and 5% said they were regularly vaping.

Paige said one of the main issues is the easy availability of e-cigarettes and the cartridges and the fact many shop keepers are willing to sell them to young people - despite it be illegal to sell them to under 18s.

There is also a problem with illicit cartridges that have way over the legal maximum volume.

In this country the maximum is a 2ml tank offering around 600 puffs. However, many places offer illegal refills with tanks of up to 5,000 puffs.

Typically, manufacturers advise that 10 puffs of a vape are about the same as 10 puffs on a cigarette, and it is thought on average it takes10 puffs to finish a cigarette - so a packet of 20 cigarettes would offer around 200 puffs.

Paige said trading standards have been actively tackling illicit vapes and have carried out a sweep of shops in Wisbech as part of that crack down.

Another problem is the attitude of parents who maybe aware their children are vaping but because they don't know the facts they are more lenient than they would be if their children were smoking.

But Paige pointed out the original aim of vaping was to provide an alternative to people wanting to give up smoking and in some areas it is advocated by local authorities as part of their drive to cut smoking.

However, Paige said vaping is not advocated as such in Cambridgeshire.

Although vaping has only been around for a comparatively short time - since 2005 in the UK - it is already recognised as causing COPD, bronchitis, gum disease and other breathing related problems.

Paige said: "When we point out to children how long it took for people to recognise the dangers of smoking and how we already know the risks associated with vaping the cogs start to turn."

The Healthy Schools team is happy to offer its anti vaping resources not just to schools, but also to youth organisations and groups. They can be contacted via their website: healthyschoolscp.or.uk