Interesting to see in Guardian letters today about how to deal with this issue. First letter says, education is the answer. As a youth worker delivering drugs education for four decades, I have my doubts as the number of teachers who have trained in drugs education are very few, and they seldom get any updated training.  Drug misuse trends change very fast. So the kids always know more than they do about the problem, but not the answers. Kids believe every myth from their peers and social media, including trendy young influencers. The most dangerous myth of all is “that vaping is 95% safer than smoking” But kids are vaping - not smoking? 

An additional problem is that in my long experience, parents are very reluctant to attend drugs education meetings in schools, as they don’t want others to think that they have a problem with drugs in their families.

Second letter from a professor of respiratory medicine, says e-cigarettes are a valuable and effective option for adults quitting smoking. Hmm, but the kids are vaping on single-use Vapers, not using e-cigs, which are more expensive. The professor says, a better approach would be to put a £5 excise tax on single-use Vapers, putting them above pocket money levels. Nice idea, BUT there is no way a government so anti tax increases of any kind will buy into that one.