Tim O'Connor: Auckland Grammar School principal says youth vaping still a significant problem despite dropping rates

Youth vaping rates in New Zealand have dropped more than 50 per cent over the past three years, but one headmaster's calling for stronger regulation.

An annual youth vaping survey's found a promising drop in secondary school aged children vaping.

It's consistent with what Auckland Grammar's Tim O'Connor's been seeing.

But he told Mike Hosking it remains a significant issue for young people.

“I still think there’s something that needs to be done about the ready access of vapes – these vape stores that look like they’re selling iPhones to teenagers.”

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Youth vapings on a downward trend. Apparently the later stats
come from the Aspirin Respiratory Foundation research. So the numbers
of teenagers who vote weekly has gone down fifty percent
in three years, So, in other words, it's strapped from
twenty seven percent to twelve. Apparently Headmaster of Auckland Graham
and Tim O'Connor's with us. Tim, very good morning to you, moading.
What do you reckon? That's true?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Our experience is it's dropped off out of this world. Actually,
oh well, but it's touch wood on that because anything
could turn in our school environment any day.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Good and so what have you done? Crack down?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, look right from the set. I mean you heard
me bleeding on about this over several years, and our
our response has been to issue some pretty high level consequences.
So stand down immediately, parents and go home and then
go through a counseling process.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
Good do you reckon? You've solved the problem to the extent.
There was some numbers out last week from the Health
Ministry that said vapings up vapings replaced smoking, So if
you crack it at school that they maybe not go
on to it in later life.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Yeah, I think so. I still think something that needs
to be done about these you know, the really excess
of vapes, these vape stores that look like they're you know,
selling iPhone iPhones to teenagers is still differently an attraction
or a direct marketing to teenagers. And my view is that,

(01:25):
you know, if I can get them hooked at that
point in time, and then they'll carry on through adult life.
And are the ones who are still vaping that we're
seeing right well, right now are those who are you first, second,
third year university students who are addicted.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
It's crazy. I don't know if you heard Nina a
moment ago on the level three in the NCA and
the numbers leaving school, you seeing that at your school?
Too many kids sixteen seventeen leaving without proper qualifications or.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
No, no, no, but you don't start me on that.
I mean, we're probably an outlier of education now because
we're still sort of free of internal exemz year from
the time they start at age thirteen, you know, get
them into a system where actually they know what a
little bit of stress is, they know what that learning
is difficult, and actually that they can succeed if they

(02:11):
continue to practice just like anything, and we have we've
we've lost, we've lost plot invents of just discouraging students
a credit count, then of course they're going to count
their credits and they're going to either get what they
need and switch off and stop learning, or they just

(02:32):
give up because it's all just a little bit too tough.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Right, So the answer is you've got the answer. If
other people want to learn, it is there to be had.
So we don't need to give.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Up, Oh not at all. I think what we see
when we put the right educational systems in place is
that we motivate students to actually learn and they understand
what they what what a difference it is they can.
They're coming through to us without a lot of experience, sorry,
a lot of success with learning at basics, reading, writing, maths,

(03:04):
and we need to change that for a start.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Good stuff, Tim, appreciate your insight as always, Tim O'Connor,
Auckland Grammar Headmasters. The gave is something uplifting. So they
come into the school underqualified, and of course the universities
will tell you they go into the universities underqualified as well.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
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