Ontario tightens rules on cellphone use, bans vaping in schools

The Ontario government is introducing new measures to crack down on cellphone use and vaping in schools as the province sees an "alarming rise" of vaping and cellphone distractions in classrooms.

In an announcement Sunday, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the province is removing distractions as part of its back-to-basics plan, and addressing the "negative impact" of mobile devices, social media and vaping in classrooms.

"Every parent and teacher we speak to has shared the growing problem of cellphone distractions in class … in addition to the disturbing rise of vaping in schools [among] our youth," Lecce said at a news conference in North York Sunday.

"We need to be bold, we need to be comprehensive and we need to act with urgency today."

Starting in September, students in kindergarten to Grade 6 will be required to keep phones on silent and "out of sight" for the entire school day, unless they are granted permission to use it, the province said.

Similarly, students in Grades 7 to 12, will not be permitted to use their cellphones during class time without permission.

The release said social media websites will also be removed from all school networks and devices, a move the government says is the first of its kind among Canadian provinces.

As part of these changes, teachers will undergo mandatory training, according to the province. Report cards will now also include comments on students' distraction levels in class.

Lecce touted the measures as necessary steps to help students focus in class and improve safety in schools.

Students will be required to hand over any vapes or cigarettes they're caught carrying and school staff will notify parents in those circumstances as part of the new measures, the province says.

The government said it has earmarked $30 million from its 2024 budget to install vape detectors and other security upgrades in schools.

Dr. Kieran Moore, the province's chief medical officer of health, said the vaping ban in schools will help protect students from "preventable threats.

"Ontario is seeing a growing number of youth in Grades 7 through 12 report using vaping products that contain and emit many toxic substances," Moore said.

"These products can affect the respiratory, immune and cardiovascular systems, and nicotine in these products is particularly harmful to youth brain development."