Grey Bruce Public Health is hoping to work with local school nurses in cracking down on smoking and vaping among local school-aged teens.
During their Board of Health meeting for the month of June, a report was presented by Medical Officer of Health Dr. Ian Arra.
That report shared statistics about teen nicotine use.
It includes 15.3% of kids in grades 7-12 who reported vaping at least once when they answered the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drug Survey in 2021-22.
Grey Bruce Public Health also identified an increase in the number of reports from local schools of students observed vaping on school property, most frequently in the bathroom.
According to Dr. Arra’s report, since January of this year, the tobacco program has responded to more than 47 reports of students smoking cannabis or vaping on school property.
Of those 47 reports, 38 reports (81%) took place in the washroom, and 17 reports (36%) involved students 14 years of age or younger.
GBPH is hoping to work with School Health nurses to improve the Smoke-Free Ontario Act tobacco offence reporting pathway that all schools utilize once a student has been observed by school staff to be vaping on school property or school buses.
Once a report is received, Grey Bruce Public Health would meet with the school official and the student, in order to offer support with options of counselling and cessation.
The student would also meet with a school nurse, who would also be responsible for following up with the child at a later date.