AQW 17852/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 08/11/2024
Answered On Date: 14/11/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education how his Department is working with schools to prevent children from accessing and using vape products.

Answer:

Issues around vaping are addressed as part of the statutory curriculum. At primary level, pupils are taught about the importance of making good choices and being aware of the effects of drugs and alcohol on their own health and others. At post-primary level, pupils explore the concept of health as part of the development of a whole person and investigate the effects on the body of legal and illegal substances, and the risks and consequences of their use.

All schools are required to have a drugs policy in place and the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment has published Drugs Guidance for Schools in Northern Ireland. The guidance was developed in consultation with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.

Schools also have the flexibility to work directly with external organisations, such as the PHA and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to provide learning opportunities in the delivery of these important aspects of the curriculum.

As recognised during the debate on the recent Assembly motion on vaping in schools, this is an issue that goes beyond the school gates, and it is therefore a matter that requires a collective response. As such, my department will work closely with the Department of Health, the Public Health Agency and, as necessary, the Department of Justice and the PSNI, following appropriate guidance and regulations.