SYDNEY, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The government of the Australian state of Western Australia (WA) on Tuesday unveiled a string of new school behavior policies to prevent students from vaping, according to an official statement.
Under the new rules, students caught vaping would risk being unable to attend school events like balls, graduations, and other extra-curricular activities.
Other measures also include mandatory programs for Years Five to Seven students to learn about the dangers of vaping before they embark on their secondary education, new teaching and learning resources to deliver prevention education for Years Eight to Ten, and a trial of vape detectors among up to 10 schools across the state.
"The prevalence of vapes in our community is a serious issue," said Tony Buti, the state's education minister.
"The biggest misunderstanding is they are harmless compared to cigarettes - this is not true - vapes are not safe and they are contributing to a new generation of nicotine dependency," he added.
Electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes, often known as "vapes," are electronic devices designed to deliver vaporised liquids into the lungs.
In WA, it is illegal to sell e-cigarette devices and nicotine vaping products to anyone regardless of age, unless they are prescribed by a doctor for smoking cessation purposes and obtained with a prescription from a pharmacy.
According to a fact sheet by the WA Department of Education, young people often purchase vapes online, from retail stores, or from friends and contacts in the community.
In October, the WA Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones released a new report on vaping based on a statewide survey of over 3,000 young people aged 12 to 18 years old.
More than 70 percent of participants found it easy for a young person to "get a vape," with many also reporting that these products are prolific, especially in schools. ■
