Over 3,000 Oxfordshire pupils share views on vaping and smoking
More than 3,000 secondary‑aged pupils across Oxfordshire recently shared their views on vaping and smoking, providing valuable insight to support school‑based prevention work.
The high level of engagement reflects the excellent work of School Health Nurses (SHNs), who supported pupils to take part and helped create trusted spaces for honest conversations.
Key findings at a glance
The results are reassuring and positive:
- 79% of pupils have never vaped
- 88% have never smoked
Daily use remains low:
- Vaping: 3.4%
- Smoking: 0.6%
Daily smoking and vaping rates have decreased since 2023, reinforcing the importance and impact of continued education and prevention activity in schools.
Education, prevention and INTENT
Over half of pupils reported receiving information about vaping, smoking and nicotine in school. However, awareness of a structured, whole‑school prevention approach such as INTENT (pdf, 223kb) remains low.
This highlights a key opportunity for schools to strengthen and embed consistent practice.
With changes to the RSHE curriculum coming into effect from September 2026, INTENT provides a practical, evidence‑based framework to support confident teaching and early intervention.
Book INTENT training
INTENT training dates are now live on the Schools Portal, with sessions available in May, June and July.
Schools are encouraged to book early to ensure relevant staff can attend. Following training, schools will gain full access to INTENT resources, supporting:
- PSHE lessons
- Assemblies
- Whole‑school approaches to prevention
Visit Education Services to view dates and book training places, or see the link on the poster.
Contact
For any queries, please email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk