Teen vaping becoming an ‘epidemic’ across UK
- A leading doctor within the UK has warned that the use of vapes and e-cigarettes by young people is a “new epidemic”.
- Even though the sale of vapes is illegal to those who are under 18, Dr McKean has stated that a large number of young people are vaping at school.
- He has stated that children are “inhaling chemicals we don’t know the long-term effects of” and “becoming addicted.”
- Recent data has shown that the reported use of e-cigarettes has risen to 9% among 11–15-year-olds in England.
- Vaping among 15-year-old girls had also risen from 10% in 2018 to 21% in 2021.
- New research published within the last week showed that putting vapes in plain packaging reduces their appeal to children and could potentially stop them starting in the first place.
- For more on this story, please visit the Evening Standard’s website.
Behaviour Management approach ‘increases criminalisation of children in care’
- A research paper led by Manchester Metropolitan University revealed concerns regarding excessive use of police involvement with children in care.
- Further concerns surrounded police’s approach to record keeping that failed to contextualise a child’s care background.
- The report found that children in residential care are disproportionately likely to receive a criminal caution or conviction.
- The report also cautions that over-relying on police in children’s care settings may “normalise” involvement with the legal system.
- One in six local protocols refer to gender and one in nine make reference to ethnicity.
- According to the report, both these factors affect the risk of criminalisation.
- Researchers are calling on the government to make it a statutory duty on local authorities to prevent unnecessary criminalisation in care.
- For more on this story, please visit the CYP Now website.
Home office accused of ‘shunting’ Afghan child refugees around UK ‘like cattle’
- The observer has uncovered a growing number of cases in which Afghan families are being compulsorily relocated out of London by the Home Office despite children commencing GCSE exams on May 15th.
- Some children who have been relocated are unable to find new school places and consequently are now unable to sit their exams.
- Other children are having to commute up to four hours a day to continue lessons and exam revision at their schools.
- Some schools have been fighting for their pupils arguing that there is not enough time for pupils to find a new school and settle before exams.
- The Home Office have stated there is a shortage of local authority housing in London and hotels are not a long-term solution.
- For more on this story, please visit the Guardian’s website.
Met Officers investigated for sexual misconduct working as normal
- A Freedom of Information request submitted by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that more than 100 Metropolitan Police officers investigated for domestic abuse and sexual misconduct are working as normal.
- A further 236 were placed on restricted duties, 71 were suspended and 97 have left the force.
- 111 of the 361 officers who were being investigated solely for sexual misconduct are still taking up normal duties.
- An interim review by Baroness Casey published in October highlighted that hundreds of serving officers are getting away with breaking the law and misconduct.
- The Metropolitan Police force have stated they recognise the importance of identifying and bringing to justice those who corrupt their integrity by committing abuse against women and girls.
- They are committed to taking steps to rebuild trust and steps are being taken through expanding and creating new units to investigate officers.
- For more on this story, please visit the BBC News website.
