This is a reminder that under New Zealand law (The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Vaping) Amendment Act 2020 and The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990.) all workplaces are to be smoke and Vape free. This includes all Schools and Kura in NZ. As such students of Dunstan High School should not have in their possession cigarettes, vapes or other smoking accessories while on site or when travelling to and from school while in uniform. Parents, caregivers and whānau are also legally not able to use these products while on school grounds.
We, like many other Kura in New Zealand have seen a significant increase in the number of students using and sharing Vapes while in school. While there are a number of health concerns related to this we are also having reports from our students about feeling unsafe within our school environment. In particular around using bathroom facilities during break time. We believe that all students have a right to go about normal activities without feeling unsafe or intimidated. There is no reason for large groups to be gathering in bathrooms and staff are working hard while on duty to address this. We would encourage you to have a discussion with your tauira about this at home and get them to share any concerns with a staff member they trust or to email me directly [email protected].
We have also been supplied some current information from our local Public Health Nurse and I have attached this below you may find this information of value