High school principals in Anglophone South identified vaping by students as one of the most challenging situations with students during this school year.
It’s also an issue at middle schools in the district.
Superintendent Zoe Watson says a working group has been established to look for solutions.
“With our healthy learners nurses, our communication director, representation from our school administrators and also our transportation staff because this topic comes up as a great challenge for our bus drivers as well.” Watson said.
An awareness campaign will be launched in the fall which will include signage in the inside and outside of schools especially in and near washrooms and on school buses.
Watson says they also feel the need for a communication piece for this plan both for students and families.
“Many students are not aware of the dangers. We hear parents say, ‘My child isn’t smoking but, they’re vaping.’ We feel the need to make some education information available.” Watson said.
Anglophone South is also looking at having district-wide consequences if a student is caught vaping on the bus or in school.
“Our principals would feel that they have warned and warned, and it is time now that there need to be some consequences that we are serious about this.” Watson said.
Watson says the provincial Smoke-free Places Act does kick in here as well as Department of Education policies which have been updated to include vaping wherever smoking is mentioned.
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