Teen vaping becoming an ‘epidemic’ across UK
- A leading doctor within the UK has warned that the use of vapes and e-cigarettes by young people is a “new epidemic”.
- Even though the sale of vapes is illegal to those who are under 18, Dr McKean has stated that a large number of young people are vaping at school.
- He has stated that children are “inhaling chemicals we don’t know the long-term effects of” and “becoming addicted.”
- Recent data has shown that the reported use of e-cigarettes has risen to 9% among 11–15-year-olds in England.
- Vaping among 15-year-old girls had also risen from 10% in 2018 to 21% in 2021.
- New research published within the last week showed that putting vapes in plain packaging reduces their appeal to children and could potentially stop them starting in the first place.
- For more on this story, please visit the Evening Standard’s website.
Behaviour Management approach ‘increases criminalisation of children in care’
- A research paper led by Manchester Metropolitan University revealed concerns regarding excessive use of police involvement with children in care.
- Further concerns surrounded police’s approach to record keeping that failed to contextualise a child’s care background.
- The report found that children in residential care are disproportionately likely to receive a criminal caution or conviction.
- The report also cautions that over-relying on police in children’s care settings may “normalise” involvement with the legal system.
- One in six local protocols refer to gender and one in nine make reference to ethnicity.
- According to the report, both these factors affect the risk of criminalisation.
- Researchers are calling on the government to make it a statutory duty on local authorities to prevent unnecessary criminalisation in care.
- For more on this story, please visit the CYP Now website.
Over 60 schools in NI fall short of ‘sustainability’ targets
- Education officials have stated that more than 60 schools across Northern Ireland have too few pupils for them to be considered sustainable.
- Schools could face potential closures or merges as the Department of Education attempts to improve the quality of schools.
- The education of children and young people in sustainable, financially and educationally viable schools has been deemed a “critical issue.”
- It is estimated that 43,000 pupils are attending schools which are currently ‘financially unviable’ with those in rural areas being under more pressure.
- The report highlights and recommends that there must be an education system fit for the 21st century with children deserving that legacy.
- For more on this story, please visit the Belfast Telegraph website.
