Safeguarding Month: Behind the Cloud – More Than Just a Vape (Positive Futures)

While vaping is often seen as a health issue, it can also provide valuable insights into a young person’s broader experiences, relationships and vulnerabilities. This session will examine how vaping can intersect with issues such as exploitation, peer pressure, emotional wellbeing, risk-taking behaviours, social media influences and unmet needs.

Participants will be encouraged to look beyond the vape itself and consider the context surrounding a child’s choices and behaviours. Through case examples, discussion and reflection, we’ll explore:

• What might vaping tell us about a young person’s wellbeing and sense of belonging?
• When does experimentation become a safeguarding concern?
• How can vaping be linked to exploitation, grooming or coercion?
• What role do peer influence, social media and targeted marketing play?
• How can practitioners engage young people in meaningful conversations about risk without judgement?

The session will help practitioners strengthen their professional curiosity, recognise hidden vulnerabilities, and understand how seemingly low-level concerns can sometimes be indicators of more significant safeguarding issues.