Victorian schoolchildren using mobile phone apps to conduct vape deals

Victorian teachers say vaping in schools is “out of control” as students as young as 12 are using social media to deal illegal vapes in toilet blocks during their lunch breaks.

Schoolchildren as young as 12 are using mobile phone apps to conduct clandestine vape deals in toilet blocks during lunch breaks.

Schoolchildren as young as 12 are using mobile phone apps to conduct clandestine vape deals in toilet blocks during lunch breaks.

The Herald Sun can reveal that vaping has become so rampant in schools that students are buying the illegal goods in bulk online and selling them to other pupils.

Teachers, who work at independent schools in Geelong, South Yarra and Mount Waverley, said they had filled out several incident reports relating to students using social media apps including Instagram to sell vapes.

It comes as new VicHealth survey data reveals less than half of young people know that e-cigarettes can contain up to 200 toxic chemicals like weed killer and paint stripper.

A 13-year-old student was also rushed to hospital earlier this month after reportedly collapsing in a vaping incident at a Bannockburn school.

The Herald Sun has found a number of Instagram accounts, some run by students, offering vapes for sale for as little as $13.

Vapes are being sold illegally on popular social media sites.

One Instagram user, who is believed to attend a school in Mount Waverley, wrote: “$13 mega 3000 puff. Get it while stocks last. Message for more info.”

On other social media posts, one student in year 11 wrote: “DM me for vapes”.

A Geelong teacher, who has worked in the profession for more than 15 years, told the Herald Sun she had filled out at least 10 incident reports for vape dealing and using last month.

“Vaping is out of control at our school. It has become a problem that is not going away,” she said.

“We are finding hundreds of dollars in students’ school bags and students are continuing to sell vapes and smoke them in the toilets despite warnings of consequences,” she said.

Another teacher, who works in Melbourne’s southeast, said schools were being forced to install vape detectors and call police on some occasions.

“Dealing vapes is the same as dealing drugs, these are extremely harmful chemicals,” he said.

“We’ve had to call the police on some occasions as students have been caught buying the vapes in bulk and selling them.”

A staff source at Bannockburn P-12 School said the student hospitalised after passing out from vaping had since been caught vaping again and was now suspended.

They said other students in years six, seven and eight had also been suspended after being found vaping.

“This is a massive issue and more education needs to be done,” they said. “They are just kids and it’s going to end up really, really badly.”

In May, federal Health Minister Mark Butler dubbed the widespread sale of illegal nicotine vapes a “major threat to Australia’s success in tobacco control” and announced $737 million to fund measures to fight the scourge.

Under current laws in Victoria, it is illegal for any vapes — formally known as “e-cigarettes” — to be sold to anyone aged under 18 years.

While adults are free to buy and use e-cigarettes, vapes containing nicotine require a prescription.

The VicHealth’s National E-Cigarette Awareness and Attitudes Survey, which surveyed 2332 Australians, found three in four young people said e-cigarettes are commonly used by other people their age.

Other concerning findings showed less than half of young people were aware that e-cigarettes can contain as much nicotine as 50 traditional cigarettes.

VicHealth chief executive Dr Sandro Demaio said the findings showed a “concerning” lack of understanding around the toxic chemicals found commonly in vapes.

“This is why we’ve recently launched Australia’s largest and Victoria’s first anti-vaping mass media campaign with QUIT,” Dr Demaio said.
“We really have to look at all of the sources of these illegal products and look at really tougher measures to protect young people.

“We know that social media is being weaponised, we’ve seen examples of where young people have ad after ad for these products being thrown at them.”

A state government spokeswoman said the rise in vaping was a real concern, especially among people under 18, where the sale of e-cigarettes is illegal and has been for some time.

“The health and safety of students is our highest priority – that is why we are supporting schools to provide drug education as part of the Victorian Curriculum and through a range of resources and guidance,” she said.

“We have successfully advocated for stronger national regulatory framework, with a focus on the safety of young people and we look forward to working with the Commonwealth to implement some of the strictest vaping restrictions in the world.”

A Department of Education spokesman said smoking and vaping were banned in all educational facilities in Victoria, including schools, and within four metres of any school entrance.

“The health and safety of students is the highest priority of Bannockburn P-12 College. Consistent with department advice, the College’s staff take a whole-school approach to vaping prevention that includes a strong focus on student education, health and wellbeing,” he said.