Schools across NSW are locking toilets outside break times to clamp down on students vaping e-cigarettes, but families say restrictions are causing health and hygiene problems for students.
The Herald has heard from dozens of families with children at public, Catholic and independent schools about newly imposed toilet restrictions to deal mostly with vaping, but also vandalism.
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell.Credit: James Alcock
It comes as NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell told budget estimates the use of e-cigarettes among young people was a growing concern, and she was working with NSW Health and other agencies on a whole-of-government response.
Ms Mitchell told the Herald this could include advertising, additional resources in schools and curated information for parents.
“What’s needed is a broad community response to vaping, just like what we saw with smoking,” Ms Mitchell said.
A five-year-old boy in Victoria landed in hospital this week after vaping at school and consuming high doses of nicotine and other chemicals.
Nicotine juices for vape devices are only meant to be sold in Australia with a prescription.Credit: AP
Vaping devices, which are widely available in tobacconists and often illegally sold to minors, appear designed to appeal to young people with bright colours, sweet flavours and shapes that disguise them as pens or USB sticks.
Nicotine juices for vape devices are legally sold in Australia only with a prescription to help people quit smoking, but can be legally imported from online retailers. Some products reportedly contain nicotine even when labelled otherwise.
A letter from Burwood Girls High School sent to parents in November last year said, “the vapes confiscated on our return to school have all contained high levels of nicotine”.
While touted as a less harmful alternative to cigarettes for smokers trying to quit, research suggests social media is pushing non-smokers into taking up vaping.
Vaping is a growing issue in schools, as reported by the Herald, but not everyone agrees locking toilets is a suitable response. It not only prevents students going during class time but also in the transitions between classes.
A spokesperson for NSW Education told the Herald there was no department policy about locking toilets, but there would always be a toilet available.
“Schools may restrict access during class time to stop students congregating in toilets and engaging in anti-social behaviour, however students can still use the toilet facilities,” the spokesperson said.
Craig Petersen, the president of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, said some schools close the toilet blocks outside break times, but would let students use the toilet in the office.
Mr Petersen said that when some schools close playground toilets to prevent vaping, students are often redirected to toilets in administration blocks “where teachers don’t directly supervise but have an awareness of what’s going on”.
However, several students from different schools have reported waiting 15-20 minutes for access to the office toilet because there is a queue, or they need to wait for the teacher with a key.
The Herald has spoken to at least two parents whose teenage girls experienced visible menstrual bleeding at school last week as a result of not being able to quickly access a toilet. Other parents say it is causing anxiety and potential health issues for their children who suffer conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome and type-one diabetes.
Parents have asked to be anonymous to protect their children from further embarrassment or repercussions from the school, and the Herald has chosen not to name schools because of the widespread nature of the problem across all sectors.
A teacher on the executive team at a northern suburbs public high school, who has requested anonymity, said the decision to close toilets at her school was “vehemently opposed” by herself and several other members of staff.
“Whilst vaping is an issue, we are dealing with highly anxious students (especially in the younger years) who are too intimidated and afraid to use the bathrooms during recess and lunch because of vaping and the behaviour of older students,” she said.
A spokesperson for Parramatta Catholic Education also confirmed vaping was a growing concern in secondary schools, but said he had no reports of schools locking toilets. Catholic Schools Sydney declined to answer questions, as did most independent schools approached by the Herald.
One potential solution is vape detectors, which are in widespread use in US schools and can be coupled with CCTV systems that show which students entered or exited the toilet block at a certain time.
Private schools that have installed vape detectors, which cost up to $1000 a unit, in bathrooms include Knox Grammar School and Rosebank College in Five Dock.
Knox headmaster Scott James said the vape detectors were “a useful strategy in deterring students from vaping” along with education programs.
Mr Petersen said a number of public secondary schools had also installed vape detectors using school or P&C funds. He called for the department to investigate the different products and advise principals.
“One school in regional NSW that did install them said they seemed to have had a deterrent effect, while another principal in Sydney said they were an absolute waste of time because they were vandalised very quickly,” Mr Petersen said.
Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.