Norwich school drafts in sniffer dog to stop pupils vaping

Sniffer dogs could be drafted in to put off pupils from bringing vapes into school.
Sniffer dogs could be drafted in to put off pupils from bringing vapes into school. Credit: PA

A secondary school is planning to draft in a sniffer dog to crack down on children bringing vapes on to the premises.

City of Norwich School, which is run by the Ormiston Academies Trust, said it didn't currently have an issue with vaping, but wanted to take "proactive steps" to prevent it.

As part of the proposals, a "passive deterrence dog" will be taken around the school one day in February, a spokesperson confirmed.

The dogs are more commonly used to hunt for drugs and explosives.

City of Norwich School said it wanted to take "proactive steps." Credit: Google Street View

"While we do not currently have an issue with this [vaping] at the school, we are aware this is a rising challenge within society, and therefore want to take proactive steps to help counter and deter this," a spokesperson for City of Norwich School said.

"The organisation that is supporting this [the use of a sniffer dog] has significant experience delivering this service in schools."

The use of the sniffer dog is just one of a whole raft of measures being brought in by the school which will also stage special assemblies and direct pupils to help if they need it.

It comes just days after the prime minister announced that disposable vapes would soon be banned in a bid to tackle the alarming rise in young people taking up the habit.

New £100 fines will also be brought in for shops in England and Wales which sell vapes illegally to anyone under the age of 18.

In the last three years, the number of children vaping has tripled, with 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds now using them.

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