‘I’ve got a pupil who vapes every 20 minutes’: exploration of the wider impact on schools of young people’s use of new nicotine products in the UK

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The use of new nicotine products (NNPs), particularly vapes, by pupils has been increasingly reported in schools. This paper reports the findings of a qualitative exploration of the impact of NNPs on schools by eliciting the views of 14-16-year-old pupils and school staff, as part of a wider study investigating the marketing and use of NNPs in Scotland. DESIGN: Qualitative study using 16 focus groups with pupils conducted February-March 2025, and in-person and telephone interviews (nine individual and two paired) with school staff. SETTING: Four schools in Scotland based in areas of differing socioeconomic status and two levels of urbanity. PARTICIPANTS: 77 S3 (14-15 years) and S4 (15-16 years) pupils who vaped or were at risk of vaping. School staff (n=13) with a senior teaching or pastoral care/guidance role. MEASUREMENTS: Focus groups with pupils and interviews with staff exploring perceptions of NNPs, particularly vapes, on schools, and what mitigating actions might be needed. The qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. RESULTS: Pupils reported widespread use of vapes and to a lesser extent nicotine pouches, and described practices and behaviours, including truancy and missing classes as pupils sought other environments for their vaping, that were impacting on the life of the classroom and the wider school environment. The school staff outlined a number of approaches they had adopted to counteract disciplinary and other issues arising from vape use within schools, including instigating regular patrols, monitoring of toilet facilities and visiting neighbourhood shops, but acknowledged that they had little knowledge of nicotine pouches. They also perceived that they were not as knowledgeable as to the risks of NNPs and did not feel as comfortable addressing this issue within the classroom as they did compared with tobacco-related teaching. CONCLUSIONS: Young people reported behaviours related to NNP use that were having a detrimental impact on the schools. Staff had developed various approaches to address these issues and were having to allocate significant time and resource, especially to vaping-related issues. Staff require knowledge and awareness training in relation to other NNPs, as well as specific guidance on the risks of vaping and nicotine use.