One of the UK’s leading health experts will explore the hidden dangers of vaping in a talk to parents and students at Ashville College in Harrogate.
Dr Aric Sigman, who has written and presented scientific documentaries for BBC 1 and Radio 4, will be speaking at the first Awareness@Ashville seminar of the new academic year.
The series of talks is an initiative designed to keep parents informed about topics relevant to children and adolescents growing up in the modern world.
Entitled Vaping: What You Need To Know Now, his presentation will offer a first-hand insight into the under-recognised and serious effects of vaping on mental health, school grades, sports performance and the risk of addiction.
Dr Sigman, a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood, will give talks to senior school and sixth form pupils throughout the afternoon of Tuesday October 24, and then an adapted version to parents afterwards.
Rhiannon Wilkinson, head of Ashville College, said: “Dr Sigman is at the national forefront of personal, health, social and economic (PHSE) education and we are thrilled to attract an expert of his calibre to launch our 2023/24 series of seminars for parents, pupils and colleagues.
“He shares our passion for protecting the mental and physical health of children and young people, and his presentations are renowned for being both evidence-based and entertaining.
“Across the Ashville family, we recognise the importance of a strong partnership between home and school, and our Awareness@Ashville initiative is proving a great success in adding a new dimension to this work.”
Dr Sigman is highly qualified and widely published, having authored pieces for the British Medical Journal, The Biologist and tes magazine.
A member of a wide range of organisations concerned with childhood and teenage health and wellbeing, he also has special interests in online safety, screen time, relationships and body image.