'Absolute explosion' of vaping leading to students leaving class to vape, committee told

'There's a perception that this is cool, or it holds credence or currency among our young people,' an Oireachtas committee on drug use was told. File picture: iStock

There has been an “absolute explosion” of vaping among students in schools that is leading to students leaving during class, an Oireachtas committee on drug use has been warned.

The committee met on Thursday with representatives from the three teaching unions: the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI), the Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) and the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO).

President of the TUI Anthony Quinn told the committee he worked in a Deis school last year where vaping is widespread.

“These things tend to be very cyclical, and almost there's a perception that this is cool, or it holds credence or currency among our young people,” Mr Quinn said.

“Especially the single use [vapes],” he added. “You had these scented [vapes] and flavours. It just turned into an absolute animal.” 

Vape use was “endemic across all year groups”, Mr Quinn added. "In the logistical terms, it was actually leading to students leaving class. It was leading to almost truancy. It was leading to a myriad of issues.” 

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Once you start to “go down the road” of code of behaviour sanctions within a school, fundamentally its a slippery slope, he added. “Because it impacts on educational provision.” 

President of the ASTI John Conneely said while it can be hard to pinpoint causes of irritability among students, school staff would often see kids leave class in connection with vaping.

"It's definitely a problem,” he told the committee. Legislation was brought in to target cigarettes, he said.

“A lot of principals, vice principals, and year heads’ time can be used up dealing with this, and that is a problem because there are many other things, naturally, in the school that you have to deal with."

“There's going to have to be some legislation which restricts the sale of this stuff."

Wellbeing programs

Meanwhile, schools cannot be expected to provide high-quality prevention and wellbeing programs in the absence of adequate resources, the INTO told the committee. 

INTO general secretary John Boyle said effective drug use prevention requires clear national policy, and recommended that the committee call for 'Walk Tall', the recommended primary school resource, to be revised without delay. 

It was first developed in 1996, and although the HSE found in 2024 it was "broadly aligned" with international evidence, it does take on board the new learning outcomes as set out by the redeveloped primary school curriculum. 

"Primary schools deliver prevention education conscientiously, but face systemic pressures, including limited time, little access to quality training and increased complexity in pupils lived experiences," Mr Boyle said. 

"Drug prevention education, like all wellbeing and safeguarding work, cannot be separated from the broader society within which children live."

When children receive timely therapeutic counseling and social supports, the risks associated with later substance misuse are significantly reduced, he added. 

"Yet children face long waiting lists for assessments, limited access to mental health services, insufficient family support provision and inconsistent engagement from community agencies. Without access to these services, teachers can only do so much."