Vaping, secret Apps and the silent crisis taking over secondary schools

A new youth culture is tightening its grip on Botswana’s schools, unfolding quietly in the corners adults rarely check: bathrooms, WhatsApp groups, mall hangouts, hidden folders in smartphones, and the spaces between classes.

What was once dismissed as a “foreign trend” is now entrenched, organised, and thriving under the noses of parents and teachers. Vaping has become the latest obsession among teens, and it is reshaping school life in ways many are only beginning to understand.