Parent advocate Paula-Anne Moore has joined calls for a sweeping national education strategy and tighter state enforcement to tackle a “widespread” surge in youth vaping and marijuana use, after new findings suggested underage students can easily buy vaping products from the shops.

Moore, spokesperson and coordinator for the Group of Concerned Parents of Barbados, said the issue had reached a critical point, particularly as schools prepare to close for the summer. Her comment follows disclosures by Nicolette Williams, a child and adolescent psychotherapist at Verdun House, that school-based research found minors were frequently able to access vapes despite age restrictions.

“This is an alarm bell which needs a comprehensive formal education strategy,” Moore said. “It is particularly timely to start these public service announcements regarding vaping as exams wind down, as children have more ‘idle’ hands and as they relax and enjoy themselves during the long summer months.”