Police seize cigarettes and vapes during west school search
About 200 learners were searched and sharp scissors, cigarettes along with vapes were confiscated.
Pretoria West police confiscated different paraphernalia during a recent surprise school search at Kwaggasrand Special School.
The operation was headed up by the Pretoria West police’s Social Crime Prevention members, and supported by crime prevention wardens and NPO, Youth For Survival.
“The purpose of the day was to search for anything prohibited on the school premises, such as dangerous weapons, drugs or alcohol,” said spokesperson Constable Sibongile Vuma.
“During the search of about 200 learners, sharp scissors and cigarettes were confiscated, along with vapes from some of the learners.”
Vuma said the police visit was welcomed by staff, as they are struggling with problematic learners who bring drugs, dagga and dangerous weapons to school.
Rekord reached out to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa), to find out what effects smoking can have on high school learners.
“A lot of youth in South Africa are exposed to tobacco products and electronic cigarettes (vapes) at an early age. As a result, teenagers end up wanting to experiment with these products before they can even understand the dangers and health issues associated with smoking,” said Minenhle Dlamini, Cansa social worker and tobacco control programme coordinator.
“Smoking causes disease and disability, harms nearly all organs of the body, and kills. If you start smoking at a young age, that increases your chances of getting tobacco-related illnesses like cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease at a later stage in life. More younger people have started using vapes because they think that vaping is much safer than smoking cigarettes,” Dlamini continued.
Dlamini said this was a misconception, as repeated use can result in severe health implications, especially at a young age.
“There is no healthy way to deliver harmful chemicals and aerosols to your body. Vaping is also dangerous. It is addictive, just like cigarettes and contains harmful chemicals that lead to severe conditions like lung and heart disease, chest pain, asthma and mouth ulcers and it affects the brain development of adolescents,” she explained.
Cansa is currently advocating for the Tobacco Product and Electronic Delivery Systems Bill (2022) to pass into law, which will protect young South Africans from easily accessing harmful tobacco products and electronic cigarettes.
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