Teenagers are concealing vapes in school toilet ceilings and sanitary bins to prevent confiscation by teachers, according to alarming new research. The study highlights that rising levels of vaping and nicotine pouch use among children are significantly impacting schools across Scotland, with attendance and behaviour suffering as a result.
School Staff Take Action
School staff have resorted to visiting local stores to deter them from selling vapes to under-18s, and teachers have begun patrolling toilets to curb vaping. Fire alarms are frequently triggered by the vapour clouds from electronic devices. However, children have become more adept at hiding their vapes, using ceiling spaces and sanitary bins as stashes.
Research Findings
The research, conducted by the University of Stirling and the Scottish Centre for Social Research, involved focus groups with 77 pupils aged 14 to 16 and 13 staff members across four central belt schools. Teachers reported that some students show signs of nicotine addiction. Pupils admitted to leaving lessons and missing classes to vape or use nicotine pouches, contributing to truancy and disruption. Despite health effects such as burning sensations in the mouth, sweat attacks, passing out, and vomiting, youngsters continue to use these products.
Dr Allison Ford, associate professor at the University of Stirling’s Institute for Social Marketing and Health, stated: “Pupils reported widespread use of NNPs, such as vapes and nicotine pouches, and missed classes and played truant because they were using these products in a variety of places, including school toilets, and outside school grounds. A few pupils felt they were addicted to nicotine and reported adverse health effects.”
She added: “School staff adopted a range of approaches to address the issue, including regular patrols and sweeps of school areas, monitoring toilet facilities, and visiting neighbourhood shops to encourage more robust retail practices. They are also confiscating vapes and issuing exclusions or detentions for their use. However, staff said they have limited knowledge of vapes and nicotine pouches and felt less confident addressing the risks, compared with tobacco-related teaching.”
Nicotine Addiction and Parental Attitudes
The study, titled “I’ve got a pupil who vapes every 20 Minutes”: exploration of the wider impact on schools of young people’s use of new nicotine products in the UK, found that both pupils and staff reported many students experiencing symptoms of nicotine addiction, interfering with learning and wellbeing. One staff member revealed a pupil used their vape every 20 minutes, staying up until 4am and finishing a 4,000-puff device in a few days. Some parents reportedly do not view their child’s vaping negatively, with one pupil stating: “My parents know. They only found out like two weeks ago, and they’ve caught me so many times they’re just like, ‘Whatever, I’m not going to stop you anymore’.”
Schools confiscate the products, but the paper, published in BMJ Open, noted: “It was noted in one school that pupils were using areas of the school toilets, including ceiling spaces above the sinks and sanitary bins in the female toilets, as hiding places for vapes for use during break times.”
Response from Health Charity
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, described the findings as “alarming but not surprising.” She said: “People who work with children and participate in ASH Scotland’s Youth Conversations Hub have consistently raised concerns about school pupils vaping and, more recently, using nicotine pouches during school time.”
Ms Duffy noted that the new Tobacco and Vapes Act will address advertising and promotions of nicotine products, including vapes and nicotine pouches, to protect young people. She concluded: “Urgent progress, however, is now needed on consulting on further measures, enabled by the Act, to ban added flavours and prevent imagery, colours and branding attractive to children on all vapes, nicotine pouches and their packaging.”
