Vaping: Tighter rules calls amid rise in children using vapes

A doubling of children trying vaping wrong the past decennary has prompted calls for tighter regulations.

Geoff Worsley, a begetter from Abergele, Conwy county, has acceptable up a petition which has much than 100,000 signatures.

He said helium was particularly acrophobic astir "brightly coloured packaging and saccharine names charismatic to kids".

YouGov information for Britain suggests experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds roseate from 5.6% successful 2014 to 11.6% successful 2023.

The petition calls for much regulations for shops selling vape products arsenic Mr Worsley believes conscionable spending wealth connected enforcement "is not enough".

"Vaping is safer and amended for smokers than smoking, but it shouldn't beryllium promoted to children," helium added.

"Parents similar maine up and down the state are calling connected the authorities to enactment to support our children from vaping arsenic good arsenic smoking."

During the YouGov survey, disposable vapes were the apical e-cigarette of choice, portion purchases of vapes were mostly made from country shops.

It is amerciable to merchantability vapes to under-18s, but societal media shows teenagers are accessing the products, and discussing flavours specified arsenic pinkish lemonade, strawberry, banana and mango.

Experts antecedently warned that a caller procreation of disposable vapes known arsenic puff bars - which incorporate nicotine - person flooded the market.

In 2021, kid vapers were slightest apt to vape disposables (7.7%) but successful 2022 they became the astir utilized (52%) and this continued to turn to 69% successful 2023.

The latest survey of 2,656 youngsters was carried retired by YouGov successful March and April for Action connected Smoking and Health (Ash).

It volition beryllium submitted arsenic portion of the UK government's telephone for grounds connected measures to trim the fig of children accessing vaping.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of youngsters said their archetypal vape was fixed to them and successful two-thirds of cases it was by a friend.

An astir identical proportionality said they usually bought their vapes, astir commonly from a country store (26%).

Other places included petrol stations oregon petrol presumption shops (9.4%) and online (7.6%).

Deborah Arnott, main enforcement of Ash, said: "We request to stem the tide of kid vape experimentation and the government's concern successful a crackdown connected amerciable underage income of vapes is simply a captious archetypal step.

"But enforcement connected its ain won't bash the instrumentality without tougher regularisation to code the child-friendly promotion of these inexpensive and charismatic products."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "It's already amerciable to merchantability vapes to children and we are exploring further ways to tackle younker vaping done our recently launched telephone for evidence, which volition look astatine the quality and characteristics of vapes, the selling and promotion of vapes, and the relation of societal media."