- Vape possession to result in loss of students' good standing
- Mandatory programs for Years 5 to 7 students designed to outline dangers
of vaping
- Education Minister to raise awareness by writing to all school parents
The
Cook Labor Government is introducing strong new measures to stamp out vaping in
schools.
New
school behaviour policies have been updated and will result in a loss of a
student's good standing if found in possession of a vape. This means students caught
vaping will risk being unable to attend school events like balls, graduations,
and other extra-curricular activities.
Other initiatives include:
- Mandatory programs for Years 5 to 7 students designed to outline dangers
of vaping before they embark on their secondary education
- New teaching and learning resources to deliver prevention education in
addition to the WA Schools Anti-vaping Toolkit resources for Years 8 to 10 introduced
in June 2022
- Education Minister to write to all parents to highlight health risks of vaping
- A trial of vape detectors
announced last year to be expanded to include up to 10 schools
The
new policies are aimed at reducing the use of vapes in schools and addressing community
concerns around their harmful effects among school-aged children, and build on
the State Government's work to date to address vaping in schools through
the vaping toolkit.
It
also continues the Cook Government's commitment to anti-vaping measures
including supporting the Commonwealth's import ban with new legislation and ending vape sales in convenience stores and other retail
settings.
The Cook Government is also providing $375,000 to the Cancer Council to
develop a digital education campaign and more than $2.4 million to deliver the 'Make
Smoking History' campaign.
The facts can be found at education.wa.edu.au/drug-education.
Comments attributed to Education Minister Dr Tony Buti:
"The prevalence of vapes in our
community is a serious issue.
"The biggest misunderstanding
is they are harmless compared to cigarettes - this is not true - vapes are not
safe and they are contributing to a new generation of nicotine dependency.
"We are confident these new measures,
alongside other initiatives across Government, will help to reduce the impact these
dangerous products are having on our community particularly our children and young
people."
