Vaping is even being reported in primary schools in Hawke's Bay. Photo / NZME
Primary and intermediate-aged children are experimenting with vapes in Hawke's Bay schools as the addictive "craze" continues to increase in popularity.
An organisation helping educate young people about the dangers of vaping and nicotine addiction says principals are "crying out for help" on the issue of vaping in schools, including how to handle associated behavioural issues.
The growing problem was one of the main topics brought up at a recent meeting of the Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools' Principals' Association.
A study released earlier this year by Action for Smokefree 2025 found that one in five students in Year 10 (20.2 per cent) across New Zealand were vaping regularly - up from roughly 12 per cent in 2019 when vaping first became an issue in schools.
Napier Intermediate principal Wendy Gray said unfortunately it was not just a problem in high schools, but was also happening in intermediate and primary schools in the Bay.
"Children are bringing vapes to school and there are children that are vaping at school, and it has even gone down into the primary schools - I have heard from a number of [primary school] principals."
She said while it was a small number of students at her school, about eight or nine this term, there were serious health risks and the school was working hard to educate students.
Gray said that included the issue of sharing vapes and passing on illnesses and not knowing what was in each vape, including how much nicotine.
The school have notified parents of the issue.
Gray said she had not seen any cases of cigarettes at the school in a long time which was likely a result of vapes growing in popularity.
Vaping is strictly prohibited in all schools in New Zealand and you must be 18 to purchase a vape from a store.
Vapes were initially introduced as a way to help adults get off cigarettes and can come in discrete sizes as small as a ballpoint pen.
Vapes do not burn tobacco like cigarettes and are less harmful, but can still deliver nicotine which is highly addictive.
Life Education Trust, which educates students around the country on various health issues including vaping, CEO John O'Connell said vaping among teenagers was a growing "craze" particularly over the past 12 months.
"Nicotine is one of the most highly addictive substances known to man.
"By putting that in a product you are instantly creating these nicotine addicts.
"Vapes are way cheaper than cigarettes, it looks cool, and is hugely promoted on social media.
"The problem is nicotine causes anxiety, it causes mood and behavioural swings, and ... these young people are becoming dependent on nicotine which starts to generate a whole mental health issue."
HE said principals, particularly in high schools but also in primary and intermediate schools across New Zealand, were often asking for support.
"It is one of the number one issues that they are crying out for help with at the moment.
"There is very little public health solutions available so they are coming to us almost daily in terms of ... the support they are looking for."
He said overseas it was becoming tougher to get vapes with nicotine.
"In Australia, you can only buy a vaping product with nicotine with a doctor's prescription whereas here you can buy it at the dairies," he said.
"I think that we have to be brave and start to put our head up and go 'what are other countries doing to deal with this'."
The Ministry of Health has a website vapingfacts.health.nz with helpful tips for parents and schools.
Meanwhile, Napier and Hastings councils have plans to tighten their joint anti-smoking/vaping policy, which could see vaping prohibited from council-managed parks, sports grounds, playgrounds and reserves.