Children in P3 are among those who have been caught with e-cigarettes in schools across Fife and Dundee this year.
Figures we obtained through freedom of information (FOI) requests show that in the 2021/22 school year to date, 27 vapes or e-cigarettes have been confiscated from primary school pupils in the kingdom and Dundee.
Three of these vapes were confiscated from pupils in primary three, with the rest found on pupils in P5 to P7.
The figures also revealed that the number of devices confiscated from primary school pupils in Fife so far this year is 11 times greater than in the whole of 2020/21.
There are no figures for schools in Angus and Perth and Kinross as these councils do not hold this data.
Which primary schools have confiscated e-cigarettes from pupils? See below:
How many vapes have been found?
A total of 23 vapes have been confiscated from pupils on a primary school campus in Fife in the current academic year.
The majority of these – 16 – were confiscated from pupils in P7. Three were confiscated from pupils in P3, as well as in P6, and a further one was taken from a pupil in P5.
By comparison, there were just two vapes confiscated from primary school pupils in 2020/21. There were no confiscations between 2016-17 and 2019-20.
In Dundee, four vapes have been taken from pupils on a primary school campus this year. These were taken from pupils in the year groups P5 to P7.
However, figures also show that there were no confiscations of vapes or e-cigarettes at all between 2016/17 and 2020/21.
What are e-cigarettes?
An e-cigarette is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke.
It is illegal in Scotland for anyone under 18 to buy e-cigarettes or vapes. Anyone buying these for anyone underage will also be breaking the law.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland – a leading charity campaigning for effective tobacco control legislation in Scotland – says the figures are “alarming” and outlined the potential health consequences of children using e-cigarettes.
She said: “It is alarming that primary school children in Dundee and Fife have accessed vaping products, which are age-restricted for good reason as nicotine is highly addictive and e-cigarettes are not harmless.
“Promoting novel products is a way in which the tobacco industry is seeking to reach future generations of potential consumers.”
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland
“Research indicates that young people who experiment with e-cigarettes are at much higher risk of using tobacco, which is a prospect we should all want our children to avoid as smoking is the direct cause of 16 per cent of all deaths in Scotland.
“Promoting novel products is a way in which the tobacco industry is seeking to reach future generations of potential consumers, and why curbing the advertising and promotions of recreational nicotine and tobacco products like these is vital to protect youngsters from being encouraged to experiment.”
What do the local councils say?
A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “All children and young people will learn about substance use as part of the health and wellbeing curriculum.
“Their learning subject knowledge includes vaping as part of smoking prevention with a focus on positive decision making and the impact on health, community and the environment.
“As with all learning we would encourage families to continue these conversations at home.”
Angela Logue, head of education at Fife Council, said: “Children and young people’s understanding of the use and misuse of a variety of substances, including the use of vapes, is part of the health and wellbeing curriculum across all schools.
“Learning in health and wellbeing is designed to support children and young people to make informed decisions and to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.
“Any child in our primary schools found to be in possession of a vape would be supported appropriately in partnership with parents/carers.”
