Smoking At School
 

I've noticed when I drop my daugter off at school how brazen today's kids are when it comes to smoking directly outside the school gates in full view of everyone and anyone.

When I was at school the smokers always had to find a back street or alleyway near the school, out of sight of the teachers.

Does my daughters school have a different policy to other secondary schools or is this now the norm that a few inches outside the school gate is no longer deemed as being at school ?

Re: Smoking At School
 

When I was at school the staff room used to be filled with pipe and cigarette smoke.

What has happened since the smoking ban was introduced?

Do the teachers and pupils both now hang about the school gates, having one last drag before facing the day?

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I remember having to hide because woe betide you if you were caught. Getting caught was bad enough but having your ciggies confiscated was worse. Wonder if they would be considered as mugging the pupils if they were confiscated now???

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My daughter was always getting hers taken off her by the teachers. They once phoned Ian up and asked what they should do with them. His reply was distribute them amongest the staff who smoke:D

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We had smokers corner at our school, the teachers all knew where to look but rarely came round, needless to say I were caught several times and on one occasion I didn't even smoke but my mates fags were in my bag. The fags were usually confiscated and a detention given, we were never that hard faced that we'd smoke in front of the parents/teachers though.

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Thats why my daughter kept getting caught, she had everyones fags in her bag.

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when i was on the governors/vice chair of the pta at Reece's school the teachers had to stand as far away from the school gates as possible to have a fag, so as not to be associated with the school, all the time ive been going there they have NEVER been allowed to smoke in the staff room

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lol we used to smoke in the long jump up at cromwell and Mr Williamson used to laugh at us when we used to try and hide the smoking fags behind our back

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We had a smokers corner too. There was a classroom window above it and teachers used to hang out of it and tell the smokers to come in and stand in the entrance hall. The smokers corner was also regularly 'policed' by teachers and dinner ladies who would confiscate the fags and send the offenders to the head teacher to be punished. The smokers usually had someone standing just round the other side of the smokers corner, acting as a look-out. When a teacher or dinner lady looked to be coming over, the look-out would hiss a warning round the corner to the smokers so they could stamp their fags out quickly.
Of course, this was all on the premises, inside the school yard, so the school had authority over what went on in there. I don't think there was anything they could do about the brazen ones who stand smoking on the street before and after school as it is out of school hours and off the school premises. All the teachers could do was go and tell them what a filthy habit it was etc etc. They couldn't actually mete out a punishment to them.

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many kids smoked in my day,it was fashionable e.g. cool TV ads etc, but at school,always discreetly, thats the differance to me.

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Just asked my grand-daughter and seems Willow is right, very little teachers can do other than tell the parents. How things have changed and not for the better!!!!

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Only education can stop this health damaging habit,it's about time the Schools started practicing what they were created for. In my humble opinion.

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I think parents too should do more to stop it, its really obvious when someones been smoking and I think a lot do it with their parents consent.

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All LCC employees cannot smoke whilst on paid time. Therefore if you are getting paid for dinners and breaks it means no smoking. Also if driving between meetings etc in our own cars we still can't smoke as we are still in paid time. So i presume teachers can't smoke.

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Had this discussion at work yesterday coincidentally ... I feel this is not quite legal. Ok, understand that a company have every right to stop you smoking on their premises e.g. in your car on their car park, however, sure they cannot enforce it if on the road out seeing customers. ?

Also, if your dinner break entitles you to go home .. are they saying can't have a cigarette there either ? This would only apply to salaried staff I suppose, not by the hour ... as dinner breaks aren't included in most wages.

Think it would be just a peevish attitude to refrain you from smoking whilst driving between meetings in your own car ... except if other employees with you of course, who don't smoke, after all only brought in to protect people non-smokers.

Lots of employees are not entitled to eat at their desk/workplace .. could you therefore not grab yourself a mint from your car whilst commuting between offices ?

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is it illegal to smoke under the age of 16, or just to sell em??

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Just illegal for shopkeepers to sell them, not that they take any notice:mad:

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well thats probably why the teachers dont do nowt:(
if i ever catch my kids having a fag ill.............:mad:

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Only thing teachers can do is tell the parents, I would never have dared show such blatant disrespect how times have changed!!!!

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I got a good clip round the ear for it and had plenty of run ins with teachers over it. The do as I say not as I do attitude was a pain in the neck but the freedoms I craved are now causing chaos. Oh the joys of hindsight.

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It's by union agreement so it must be legal. Plus we get paid for dinners and breaks. So between 8.30am and 4pm i can't smoke, but that first one is wonderful.

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It is not illegal to smoke under the age of 16 so this means that if you let your 6 year old have a fag after their tea you would not be breaking the law.:eek:

As long as you had bought them and not him/her. It's illegal for under 16s to buy their own.

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I'm sure at the hospital where I work staff aren't allowed to smoke on the grounds or in their uniform, I could be wrong but most of our smokers make sure they have their coats on.

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Goes up to 18 on Monday

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And that will be as affective as the alcohol purchase age. They will always have a way of getting them.

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Will that allow the teachers to get involved?

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I would have more chance of being at the start of tonights meet than teachers getting involved.

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i only left school two years ago and the teachers allowed the year elevens to smoke on the tennis courts but kids under year eleven use to borrow a year elevens tie who didnt smoke to gain access to the court

even worse i use to get on a school bus and they use to sell joints on the top deck for £2 in the mornin and at night :(

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Thats frightening about the joints Mel, just goes to show how normal some people think it is, or how normal its become.

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It just gets worse!!:mad:

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Now that is the sign of how bads things have got then. I wish I was back at school sometimes but not if its got that bad. I got up to enough mischief at school but never went that far.

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so as from monday, it raises to 18 to sell.....means nowt really,...only means that kids will be asking adults to buy there fags for them:rolleyes:....nothing new there then!

wonder how the school kids are gonna react in the morning when they go for there fags...:rolleyes:

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Sure you are correct Panther, the kids smoking outside were probably under 16 anyway. Can only think will be of help to the shopkeeper if they do try to buy them themselves .. easier to identify an 18.

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Just reverting back to the discussion on 'between' offices Sara, have been looking on the TUC sight of recommendations and guidances to employees. They state the fact the it is NOT ILLEGAL to smoke in your own car whilst working (no passengers) of course, and OK within the Health and Safety guidelines.

I would query this with the union rep. if it were me, and ask them for what reason they are demanding this discipline .. can't see how they can really impose it myself. After all, you are not cheating them by taking any time from them, would be more serious if you were calling in the local sandwich shop on your way over to get your buttie for lunch, as this is stealing their time for your own purposes.

Am definitely going to query it at work as seemingly is in their 'Union Rules' too .. I am not a member.

Was once pointed out to me that I lit up a cigarette during a fire drill, where we all met on Ossymills grass (where the public are allowed to smoke) to be told 'Is in works time' .. nothing to do with Health and Safety for which this law was brought in originally.

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I've always find it weird that I'm from the age of around 14 I could get hold of weed x100 easier than I could get hold of alcohol. 17 now and it's still would be easier to get cannabis than a pint. I don't use cannabis and never have deon, just stating the availability compared to alcohol is one reason many people do.