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Electronic Cigarettes: Drugs

Answer

The health advice is clear, if you don’t smoke, don’t vape, and children should never vape. Vaping can play a role in helping adult smokers to quit, but the number of children using vapes has tripled in the past three years, and a staggering 20.5% of children had tried vaping in March to April 2023

Drugs education is a mandatory component of the Relationships and Sex Education and Health Education curriculum taught in schools. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has commissioned the PSHE Association to publish teaching resources for schools on drug and alcohol use, and vaping. These resources are in the process of being updated, and there will be increased emphasis on the risks of synthetic drugs, including vapes.

Information on the dangers of using THC vapes is available on FRANK, the Government’s drug information and advisory website, which signposts users to support services and provides an around the clock and free-to-use confidential helpline, text and email message services, and an online chat.

Where there are incidents of synthetic cannabinoids in THC vapes, it is for the local authority public health team and the police force to take appropriate actions to warn and protect their at-risk populations, supported by regional teams.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

23762

Session

2023-24

Subjects

Health hazards Drugs Health education Misuse Electronic cigarettes

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk