The use of vapes among school teenagers in South Africa is worrying. Image: Pexels
Report: The use of vapes among school teenagers is worrying
A worrying report has revealed that school teenagers are using vapes during school hours, parents also encouraging such acts.
The use of vapes among school teenagers in South Africa is worrying. Image: Pexels
The use of vapes has rapidly risen over the past few years especially among school teenagers in South Africa.
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Vapes used during school hours by learners
Reports have it that schools in South Africa are bringing in sniffer dogs and respiratory health experts to crack down on the use of vapes among teenagers as the government moves to bring the largely unregulated industry to heel.
According to The Sunday Times, several private and former model-C schools in the country are going to somewhat extreme lengths to bring vaping under control.
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A worrying report states that schools have reported widespread use of vaping products by children, even during school hours, reportedly supported by their parents who purchase vapes and related products for the children as gifts.
A tougher stance and measures like using drug sniffer dogs to find devices, schools are also trying to educate teens about the potential harms of using such products by bringing in the experts to talk to learners – much like the ‘drug talks’ many speakers are already invited to give.
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Children smoking in school has become a norm
The harsh crackdown comes in light of recent studies and surveys conducted in South Africa which show that vapes are being used widely by children in schools who are forming addictive patterns.
The report studied the vaping habits of over 5,500 high school students from several high-income schools and found that over 25% of matric learners use vaping devices.
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In the report, almost 30% of respondents reported using their vapes within an hour of waking, and almost a quarter cannot go through a school day without vaping.
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