14 DAY TRIAL // Mason Dunn of Greater Manchester, UK, took up smoking at the age of 12, following the unexpected death of his father. Now 14 years old, the teenager has a 10-a-day habit.
Last year, hoping to get him to kick the habit, his older brother bought him an e-cigarette. Apparently, this actually helped the teenager cut down on regular smokes.
Except his school doesn't want him using the device
Just the other day, the 14-year-old was caught huffing and puffing at Kearsley Academy in Bolton, where he is a student. Since the school has a no-smoking policy, his e-cigarette was confiscated.
Soon enough, his mother contacted the school board, not at all happy that her son had been left without his vaping device. Quite infuriated, she asked that young Mason be allowed to use his e-cigarette on school grounds.
“I am not happy about the fact that he smokes in the first place, but we have tried everything to help him stop. We have tried patches and have been to the doctor, but nothing worked, so my eldest son bought him an e-cigarette.”
“He came home from school in a terrible state, because he needed the nicotine,” Sue Dunn said in an interview, as cited by Manchester Evening News.
As for Mason Dunn, he says he knows smoking is bad for him but that, no matter how hard he tries, he just can't quit. His e-cigarette really helps him control his urges, and so his school shouldn't have taken it away, the teenager explains.
Kearsley Academy insist they are in the right
Mason Dunn and his mother Sue Dunn might think that the 14-year-old should be allowed to use his e-cigarette on school grounds, but the board of the Kearsley Academy in Bolton, Greater Manchester, doesn't share this opinion.
They say that, since the school has a strict non-smoking policy, the teenager cannot use the device while attending classes or anywhere near the institution and its facilities. They are willing to support Mason Dunn in his attempt to ditch the habit, but they can't let him smoke while close to other students.
“For the safeguarding of all our students, smoking, including the use of any nicotine inhalation devices are not allowed,” said principal Suzanne Pountain.
