School staff perceptions of the nature and consequences of students’ use of e‐cigarettes

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the nature and consequences of student vaping in Australian primary and secondary schools by consulting staff working in these settings. Methods: A national sample of 196 school staff was accessed via a web panel provider and administered an online survey about students’ e‐cigarette use. Three‐quarters of the survey respondents were teachers/teacher aides, with the remainder divided between those in other student‐facing roles and office staff. Results: A majority (78%) of respondents expressed concern about current levels of vaping in schools. Around half reported negative outcomes relating to mental well‐being, social/peer interactions, and school performance. Only one‐third of respondents reported a vaping policy (35%) or vaping‐prevention education (31%) being in place at their schools. Conclusions: E‐cigarette use in schools is an area of concern for school staff, yet relevant policies and education programs appear to be lacking. Implications for public health: Schools represent a key context for encouraging health promoting behaviours and discouraging harmful behaviours, including vaping. These results highlight the need to monitor and address student e‐cigarette use in schools and provide staff with greater support to prevent the negative consequences associated with vaping by children at school and beyond.

Educators’ perceptions of e-cigarettes in Australian secondary schools

“…Consistent with previous research 13 , the results of the present study suggest that e-cigarettes are a threat to Australian secondary school environments. Nearly half of the staff members surveyed reported finding students with an e-cigarette at least monthly and around one-third of principals reported that they had suspended or expelled students at least monthly for e-cigarette possession or use.…”

“…Results from studies conducted in the US suggest on-campus use of e-cigarettes is common [8][9][10] , with most educators considering use on school grounds to be a problem and expressing concerns 11,12 . Research assessing Australian educators' perceptions of e-cigarette use in secondary schools is limited, with just one study published to date 13 . Results from this study indicate e-cigarettes are a significant challenge in school settings, with the majority of school staff surveyed expressing concerns about the prevalence of use and its consequences among students.…”

“…These findings underscore the importance of implementing school-based e-cigarette policies to reduce vaping among youth and support staff to communicate about e-cigarettes, both of which have the potential to change schoolbased norms 12 . Yet, most Australian schools do not have e-cigarette policies in place 13 .…”

“…The increasing use of e-cigarettes among Australian secondary school students warrants immediate action. As a group that has regular contact with a large number of children 13 , secondary school staff members are an important source of information on e-cigarette use among students. However, most research on student vaping has been conducted in the US, a country with a more lenient regulatory environment for e-cigarettes than Australia (which has prohibited the sale of nicotine-containing e-liquid outside the pharmaceutical model, but allows the sale of non-nicotine e-liquid).…”

Socio-ecological factors that influence youth vaping: perspectives from Western Australian school professionals, parents and young people

“…Although the evidence of the harms associated with vaping is well documented (Banks et al, 2023 ), Australian adolescents’ perceptions of e-cigarette harms are scantily reported, with a recent systematic review on e-cigarette health perceptions among adolescents in various countries highlighting the considerable lack of data from Australia (Sharma et al, 2021 ). Moreover, Australian parents (Measey et al, 2023 ) and school professionals’ (Jongenelis & Robinson, 2023 ; Pettigrew et al, 2022 ) perceptions of e-cigarettes are even less well-documented. This study, therefore, aimed to understand from the perspectives of school professionals, parents and young people the socio-ecological factors that may facilitate and prevent e-cigarette use among young people in Perth, Western Australia.…”