Cause for concern: Students caught vaping often argue that the vaping device is not a cigarette. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Teachers in some schools are struggling to deal with students who are so hooked on their ecigarettes that they would sneak them into classes.
These students have been caught vaping in the school toilet, and when they are questioned, they argue that the vaping device is not a cigarette.
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A secondary school teacher from Kulim, Kedah, said some of these cases had gone overboard with the youngsters even vaping inside the classroom.
“They would vape before the teacher gets in, or when he leaves the room,” he said.
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He said it was tough trying to confiscate the devices as the students argued that these were not cigarettes.
This teacher observed that more youths have been vaping recently, especially female students, as they give in to peer pressure.
“We attempted to help them by calling their parents and giving counselling on the dangers of vaping,” he said, adding however, that the number of cases keeps going up despite the school declaring a ban on it.
He blamed it on the presence of a vape shop just a stone’s throw away from the school.
“The access to vaping products makes it easier for students to bring their non-smoking friends with them to visit the shop. It isn’t long before the others get into the habit as well,” he said.
Another secondary school teacher in Bayan Lepas, Penang, found students sneaking their vaping pods into the toilet to “smoke”, adding that there have been complaints about the smell of vaping there.
“We will seize the pods during spot checks,” he said.
As such, he was supportive of the Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill, which would prohibit those born in 2007 and subsequent years from smoking, buying or possessing any type of smoking products, including electronic cigarettes, even after they reach the age of 18.Shopkeepers and cigarette vendors are also not allowed to sell these products to those covered under the ban.
The Bill, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat last week, is expected to be voted on by the MPs on Tuesday.
A teacher from a religious school in Alor Setar lamented about this social problem, which he said has disrupted the learning process in schools.
“It has come to a point where students who don’t own a pod would steal those belonging to their friends because they too want to try it,” he said.
He said students would vape in secluded areas of their hostel or toilets.
When contacted, National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Wang Heng Suan said the situation within school compounds is still under control.
However, he acknowledged that it is “a different story” once students are out of school.
“We can only advise them, but we can’t take action (if they vape outside of school),” he said.
Wang said all schools conduct spot checks every once in a while.
“If we catch a student on this, we will call the parents,” he added.
Wang also called on parents to pay closer attention to their children’s activities.
SMK Cochrane and SMK (P) Bandaraya’s Parent-Teacher Association chairman Faizal Mohammad Arshad said that despite strict rules and procedures, including spot checks even in toilets, some students would still attempt to smuggle in their vaping gadgets.
“Schools have issued notices that vape products cannot be brought to schools because they are similar to cigarettes.
“However, there are still students who smuggle them in and hide them,” he said, adding that the school would burn vape products confiscated from students during Narcotics Awareness Day.
