Fears that primary school children in Hartlepool are already vaping

Councillor Jim Lindridge, chair of Hartlepool Borough Council children’s services committee, said worries over the issue have been raised to him by “parents and grandparents”.

He added the topic was also brought up at the recent Crucial Crew multi-agency event at Hartlepool Power Station, which teaches children how to stay safe and included a section on drug, alcohol and smoking prevention.

Speaking at the latest meeting of the council’s finance and policy committee, Cllr Lindridge said: “It was brought up that some of the children are vaping in schools, in the primary schools, also that leads on to the mainstream schools as well.

“I’ve also had a couple of residents on to me, parents and grandparents, saying that my child has been vaping in school.

"It does happen and I did ask a couple of young children in primary schools if they knew people who vaped and they said yes.

“I think it’s important that if you catch this at an early stage and you’re aware of it, you can do those preventative measures.”

Craig Blundred, Hartlepool’s director of public health, responded by noting they have been carrying out work to tackle the issue as part of a wider initiative looking at smoking in the borough.

The efforts include a partnership with tobacco control experts Fresh.

He said: “We are developing a smoking strategy and needs assessment at this point in time which specifically looks at vaping as one of the sections within it.

“We’re already doing some work with our partners at Fresh who have agreed to set up sessions where we’re going to raise awareness and provide work on that.”

Hartlepool’s health and wellbeing board is also studying the issue.

Among potential ideas are for the council to work with schools and other agencies, such as police and trading standards, to “target and educate around the increase in youth vaping”.

Data from the council’s trading standards department showed vaping and e-cigarettes are becoming an “increasing issue in Hartlepool in regards to underage sales”.