146. Vaping in Schools with Hannah Dawes and Dr Rachael Andrews

·54 min·2 clips

13% of school vapes contain Spice—a synthetic drug linked to psychosis and seizures

The discussion opens on vaping in schools and treats it as a public-health issue with a few moving parts. The guests ask how the devices are getting through school communities. Peer-to-peer dealing comes up as a major route. They say much of it appears to come from 14- to 16-year-olds. Year seven also gets mentioned. That pushes concern younger than many adults expect. The conversation does not stop at the school gate. Stories come up about parents giving children vapes as treats. Party bags for under-14s are mentioned too. That widens the problem from classroom rules to adult behavior around children. Education becomes the main lever under discussion. One guest argues that the 14-to-16 window is where behavior change can really take hold. Parent education is treated as essential, not optional. That is partly because many parents grew up through a time of very high cigarette use. The history matters. The message to them cannot simply copy the one given to children. Instead, the talks begin by acknowledging vaping’s role in harm reduction. From there, the discussion turns to how a public-health success can also create unintended effects for children. One guest says she has given parent talks in schools across the southwest and online. The aim is to share information without pointing fingers. The tone stays practical and sympathetic. By the end, the episode lands on long-term change, coordinated education, and the need to put young people’s well-being and safety first. It also leaves open the possibility that primary-school testing may become the next sad frontier if the pattern continues.

As heard by us

A clear-eyed look at school vaping as a parent, peer, and public health problem.

Vaping in schools is treated here as a public health problem first, not a moral panic. The focus stays on how vapes move through year groups, how peer sharing works, and why parents end up caught in the middle.

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Why you'd press play

A sober, evidence-led take on vaping in schools, with peer dealing, parent talks, and harm reduction in the frame.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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