Wellbeing - Senior School

New Report on Vaping Use amongst Adolescents

Over recent years the College has endeavoured to support our students and families by providing information warnings about the dangers of vaping. Like many schools, we have faced the challenge of meeting head-on the deceitful marketing and sale of these devices, educating our students in Year Meetings and PDHPE lessons about the methods used in manipulating teenagers into thinking that using them was cool and less risky than cigarette smoking.

Fortunately, the efforts of health advocates, teachers, and the mainstream media have seen an apparent decline in the number of students experimenting with vapes. It is encouraging to see that many adolescents now recognise the inherent risk of using a device that potentially acts as the catalyst for several major health issues.

A new report from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and Life Ed is challenging what secondary students believe about tobacco and vaping use among their peers. The Reality Now Tobacco and Vaping Report (Van Der Zant et al., 2025) draws on nearly 30,000 student responses collected through the Reality Now Program, a school-based initiative delivered in New South Wales and South Australia.

Some of the most striking findings include:

While 74% of students reported never trying vaping, they believed only 10% of their peers had abstained.- Students overestimated cigarette use—60% believed their peers had tried smoking, though only 20% had.
Vaping trends increase with age: Weekly use rose from 4% in Years 7–8 to 16% in Year 11.
Gender differences: 29% of female students reported trying vaping, compared to 23% of males.
Cigarette use remains lower: Just under 3% of students reported smoking weekly, with minimal gender differences.

Educationally, we aim to help students align their perceptions with reality. Like many trends in the past, once students realise that the majority of their peers are making healthy choices, they are more likely to follow suit.

For the Wellbeing Team at the College, this research directs our efforts in highlighting the importance of addressing students’ misconceptions about peer behaviour through continuing education about social interaction and physical health.

Adapted from Source: Research news: School students’ perceptions vs reality on vaping.

BATYR Presentation to Year 12

Over Year 10 - Year 12, BATYR (a preventative youth mental health organisation) has run three workshops, each based around shared storytelling and personalised experience. The workshops are designed to reduce mental health stigma and empower young people to support both themselves and their friends.

Last week marked the final instalment of the BATYR Program for the Class of 2025 and as usual they managed to foster a space for connection, understanding, and compassion. Year 12 responded positively to the storyteller and the advice shared by the facilitator, describing the workshop as “informative, engaging, and relevant”, with nearly 90% stating they were highly engaged and 93% noting that the stories shared were powerful.

The impact was significant, with 86% of students now feeling more confident in supporting a friend, 69% stating they would reach out to a professional service if needed, and 94% understanding that they are not alone in difficult situations.

The workshop encouraged the young men of Year 12 to normalise help-seeking, break down the stigma surrounding mental health, and foster a culture of care and connection as they prepare for life after high school.

Robert Simpson

Director of Senior School