Like other schools in Ballarat, Damascus College has seen a recent spike in incidents involving student vaping. This correspondence aims to inform you of the issue, but importantly ask for your assistance in engaging in these discussions at home with your student. We have included a link to an important resource which may assist in your discussions especially if you feel your student is involved in this kind of behaviour. There are repercussions for students engaging in vaping on school property. We take this issue very seriously due to the adverse health effects vaping can have on our students and often find that our parents are unaware of the risks around vaping.

The increase in vaping prompted the College to do more research, and we want to share our findings with you.

Vaping is the act of inhaling a vapour produced by an electronic vaporiser or e-cigarette. The vapour can contain nicotine and ‘other substances’, which is concerning. The vaporised liquids come in many different flavours and might even smell fruity. For example, many of the flavours of these liquid concentrates, or ‘vape juices’, are sweet and even have names such as cinnamon roll, marshmallow, grape, strawberry, bubble-gum, lemonade and cookies. Vaporizers/e-cigarettes come in all different shapes. Some common styles we see look like a thick pen, a stylus for an iPad, a flash drive, or a small flask with a round chimney coming off the top.

The devices are tiny and can easily be hidden on a person or blend in with everyday backpack items. Like cigarettes, stores cannot sell vaping items to people under 18. However, students report that they purchase the devices online, through local businesses or from older siblings, friends, or in some cases even parents. We encourage parents/ carers to report any businesses selling Vapes to underage students to Victoria Police.

When students vape in school bathrooms, it can be due to a nicotine addiction they have developed, a peer pressure issue, or they are curious and want to try it out. Additionally, vaping on school grounds negatively impacts students and staff who do not wish to be exposed to or breathe in the vapour. Consequences imposed for students caught vaping at school are followed up within a restorative educative process involving research reports. Future consequences would affect a meeting with school leadership.

Health advice from the Victorian Governments website highlights that ‘Vaping can cause significant harm to your student’s body: Short-term it can cause vomiting, nausea, coughing, shortness of breath, mouth irritation and asthma. Long-term, it can cause lung damage, heart disease and cancers. Vaping will likely cause lung and mouth cancers. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that Children and teens who use e-cigarettes are more than three times more likely to move on to smoking cigarettes.

Below is a series of images of electronic cigarettes or vapes to help you understand what these devices look like. A web link from the Australian Alcohol and Drug Foundation provides up-to-date information on Vaping.

Vaping in Australia - Alcohol and Drug Foundation (adf.org.au)