Bannockburn P-12 College vaping incident results in child being taken to hospital

A young student has been taken to hospital after an apparent vaping incident at a Bannockburn school.

A student has reportedly been taken to hospital after apparently collapsing while vaping in a school bathroom.

A 13-year-old student was rushed to hospital on Thursday after collapsing in a suspected vaping incident at a school near Geelong.

A leading health expert said the incident should be a “wake-up call” to parents because vaping had become concerningly widespread among Victorian teens.

It’s understood the student, believed to be in year 8, was vaping on campus at Bannockburn P-12 College on Milton St.

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics were called to an incident in Bannockburn about 8.45am. She said a patient was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

A Department of Education spokesman said a Bannockburn student was taken by ambulance to hospital after a “minor medical incident”.

They would not comment on the school’s vaping policy and how the incident would be addressed.

It’s understood the student is recovering in hospital.

In May, two Whitefriars College students were rushed to hospital after suffering an adverse reaction to illegal vapes.

VicHealth chief Sandro Demaio said the vaping incident was “extremely concerning”.

“I think it’s a wake-up call for everyone,” Dr Demaio said.

“It’s really important for parents, teachers and young people [to not] blame themselves.

“This is a very purposeful and predatory ploy by the [e-cigarette] industry, they know what they’re doing and we need to be successful in supporting young people.”

Dr Demaio said there was a vaping shop on almost every main street in Victoria.

“Data from Victoria suggests that two in three teenagers knows someone who is addicted to e-cigarettes, it’s concerning.”

Local GP and Western Victoria Primary Health Network (WVPHN) clinical spokesperson Anne Stephenson said there had been a dramatic increase in the number of young people taking up vaping.

Dr Stephenson said the return of big tobacco tactics to get young people addicted to nicotine was “a health disaster in the making”.

“People who vape need to know that nicotine is a poison, and a very addictive one,” she siad.

“Doctors are seeing significant numbers of young people addicted to vapes.

“E-cigarette liquids also contain more than 200 chemicals and some of these are known to cause cancer, such as arsenic and benzene.”

Dr Stephenson said vaping could cause seizures and injuries to the lungs, face and mouth, and increased the risk of other health conditions.

She said statistics showed vaping was an urgent issue, with a Cancer Council report finding one third of all young people had tried an e-cigarette.

NewsCorp last year revealed more than 50 children under the age of four, including eight babies aged less than 12 months, had been exposed to potentially toxic vapes within the space of a year.

A series of investigations also recently exposed several vape shops and tobacconists across Chapel St and other suburbs selling illegal vapes to young teens in school uniform.

Data obtained under Freedom of Information laws in February had revealed a litany of illegal vaping incidents so serious they were reported to the department, including many cases where police and ambulances were forced to attend.

In consultation with experts and key stakeholders, the Department of Education recently shared guidance to assist schools and families in navigating resources and support networks for young people using e-cigarettes.

Originally published as Bannockburn P-12 College vaping incident results in child being taken to hospital