Smoking - including E-cigarettes / Vapes

Staff and visitors are not permitted to smoke in front of children. The Home may have a designated area, where staff may smoke.

Homes staff and visitors are not permitted to smoke in the grounds of the Home.

Homes staff are to make their colleagues aware if they are exiting the Home to smoke considering the safety of children, their colleagues and events happening in the Home.

Homes staff are to ensure any personal smoking paraphernalia is securely stored and kept out of reach of children.

Staff should ensure that young people are educated about smoking. It is accepted that the more that young people know, the more likely they are to make good decisions about how to deal with smoking, drinking and the misuse of drugs / substances. Good communication ensures the right messages and information are passed on.

Smoking will be discussed with young people in keyworking sessions to ensure they understand the associated risks.

Some children/young people may already smoke before they are placed in the Home. Staff  should support and encourage such young people to reduce or stop smoking. Support is available from the Looked After Children's Nurse or the young person's GP. This should be discussed with the child/young person's social worker and addressed as part of the young person's Health Plan.

Staff are not permitted to purchase or give cigarettes, tobacco, or the materials for making or lighting cigarettes or tobacco to children.

Staff suspected of or found to have provided cigarettes, tobacco or associated materials to children/young people will be subject to disciplinary action that may result in dismissal.

See: Rules about Tobacco, E-Cigarettes and Smoking (GOV.UK).

See also Young People and Vaping (NHS).

Research on youth vaping has significantly increased over the past decade. While it remains a safe alternative than smoking cigarettes there is concern that vaping can serve as a gateway to traditional cigarette smoking.

Vaping can have serious consequences for young people. Some of the negative health effects associated with vaping include:

• Addiction to Nicotine: Nicotine, which is present in e-cigarettes, is highly addictive. It can harm adolescent brain development and lead to long-term dependence;
• Impact on Mental Health: Nicotine worsens anxiety and depression. It affects memory, concentration, self-control, and attention, especially in developing brains;
• Chemical Exposure: Vaping exposes young people to various chemicals. Although e-cigarettes are often marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, they still contain harmful substances;
• Lung and Fitness Impact: Vaping can harm lung function and overall fitness. It may lead to decreased lung capacity and endurance;
• Increased Risk of Lung Disease: There is an increased risk of serious lung diseases associated with vaping, including conditions like popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans);
• Other Harmful Substances: Besides nicotine, e-cigarettes contain other harmful substances such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and diacetyl;
• Brain Damage: Vaping can damage parts of the brain responsible for attention span, learning, mood, and impulse control;
• Negative Impact on Memory and Learning: Young people who vape may experience negative effects on memory and their ability to learn new skills.

It is an offence for shops to sell e-cigarettes to under 18s or for an adult to buy e-cigarettes for them.

Some children/young people may already vape before they are placed in the Home. Staff should support and encourage such young people to reduce or stop vaping. Support is available from the Looked After Children's Nurse or the young person's GP. This should be discussed with the child/young person's social worker and addressed as part of the young person's Health Plan.

Staff are not permitted to purchase or give vapes to children/young people.

However, if a young person indicates that they would like to try e-cigarettes as a way of giving up smoking, they should be encouraged to contact the LAC Nurse, their GP or local stop smoking services.

Children & young people should not be provided with e-cigarettes until consultation has taken place with the LAC Nurse, GP or local stop smoking service.

If it has been agreed for a child/young person to have access to e-cigarettes they are to be provided with them from an appropriate source.

Any agreement for a child/young person to have an e-cigarette should be recorded in the child’s plans.

Homes staff are not permitted to provide children/young/people with e-cigarettes.

Children & young people are not permitted to smoke e-cigarettes in the Home.

Homes staff are not permitted to smoke e-cigarettes in front of children.

Homes staff are not permitted to smoke e-cigarettes in the Home.

For more information, please see: Electronic Cigarettes – Evidence and Advice on e-cigarettes (GOV.UK).

Useful Websites

Quit smoking – NHS

Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking – NHS

Young People and Vaping (NHS)