Vaping should not be allowed in schools under any circumstances, advises guidance from the Scottish government.

This should apply even if an S6 student is 18 and legally allowed to buy a vape and also to school activities that take place away from school grounds, the guidance suggests.

Schools are also advised to be aware that, where vapes are found, there are “legal considerations” around their disposal.

Concerns about vaping in schools were raised with education secretary Jenny Gilruth in the Scottish Parliament in October 2023. The new guidance - which also includes advice around other nicotine-based products, alcohol and illegal drugs - notes that research shows vaping is now more common than cigarette smoking among adolescents.

“Policies should make clear that expectations apply consistently to all pupils while on school grounds or taking part in school activities, regardless of age,” it states.

The guidance stresses that while “a small number of older pupils (for example, S6 pupils aged 18) may legally purchase and use certain age-restricted substances such as alcohol, tobacco or vapes, these substances remain inappropriate within school”.

In the section on legal considerations, the advice states that “confiscated substances or devices (including vapes and lithium batteries, for example) should be stored and disposed of safely in line with local health and safety procedures, and where appropriate, in consultation with Police Scotland”.

‘Emerging concerns’ over vaping

As the guidance was published, Ms Gilruth said: “Most children and young people do not use substances. However, evidence from our Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research 2023 highlighted emerging concerns, particularly in relation to vaping.”

Some Scottish schools, including The Royal High School in Edinburgh, use vaping alarms in toilets to detect if the devices are being used.

Pauline Walker, headteacher at The Royal High School and a past president of School Leaders Scotland, said: “It is encouraging to see the use of vapes included in this guidance for schools. All schools will have robust policies and procedures which include the banning of vapes in all school activities for both adults and children.

“This guidance makes this expectation really clear, as well as the steps all schools should be taking. Education is key to encouraging young people not to vape and we welcome discussions with, for example, NHS colleagues to provide accurate guidance to include in our school programmes to encourage healthy living in all our young people.”

Among the health concerns around vaping, a University of Bath study in September 2025 found that up to one in four vapes confiscated in secondary schools in England contained the synthetic drug “spice”.

Updated antiracism guidance

As part of a suite of behaviour-related publications released at the same time yesterday, the Scottish government has also published finalised guidance for schools on tackling racism. Tes Scotland reported on the draft document in May 2025.

Ministers have insisted “progress has been made” across all areas of an action plan designed to improve behaviour in the country’s schools. A progress report finds work is underway “against all 20 actions within the plan”, with “significant focus” on providing “robust” guidance to schools and councils.

It added that “emerging issues” highlighted in the 2023 report on behaviour in Scottish schools - including mobile phone use, misogyny and pupils being in school but not in class - had “all been responded to by means of new national guidance”.

Ms Gilruth said that the package of guidance and related action would “help ensure that teachers and schools can deal with issues in ways that are appropriate and also respond to the needs of each individual child”.

But Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Willie Rennie said: “Vaping has been rife in schools for ages, so why has the government taken so long to wake up?”

He added: “Bright colours, sweet flavours and eye-catching designs show this industry is targeting children and young people. Schools should not be a place where their use is tolerated.”

‘Insufficient oversight’ of behaviour in schools

Meanwhile, leaders of the NASUWT teaching union said that it received “regular reports from teachers across Scotland about incidents of serious violence and abuse in schools”.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: “It is clear that too many schools are failing to put into practice the measures set out in the plan and that teachers are continuing to be left vulnerable to verbal and physical attacks from pupils, as well as lower-level disruption which affects their ability to teach and of pupils to learn.”

He called for “consistency of practice across the country when it comes to setting expectations for behaviour in schools and in sanctions for violent and disruptive behaviour”.

NASUWT Scotland official Mike Corbett said: “The provision of guidance for schools on how to address substance abuse among pupils is welcome. It is an issue that affects every school and teachers and leaders need clear guidelines on where their responsibilities lie.”

He added: “However, the challenge on behaviour remains in translating what is on the page into action in the classroom.

“School staff have not been offered any additional time, resources or funding to implement the behaviour guidance published to date, and there is insufficient oversight of what is happening across schools and local authorities in terms of how and to what extent the guidance is being used.”