Updated: 12:16 EDT, 9 September 2022 Advertisement
Experts warn that Britain is “sleepingwalking” into a vaping public crisis. This is because a new generation of children has quietly taken up the habit. MailOnline was told by experts that e-cigarettes are so popular in schools that there has been an increase of fire engine calls due to the fact that so many students use them in their bathrooms. They also reported that they have experienced frequent coughing fits and need to use inhalers to breath properly after just one year of using them. Others claim that the devices aren’t as harmful as standard cigarettes and they can be smoked all day. Although it is illegal to sell e cigarettes to minors, their popularity has been growing for years. Yesterday’s shocking NHS data revealed that one in ten secondary school pupils is a regular vaper, double the number in 2014. One in five children have used them at least once. E-cigarettes can be purchased for as low as?5 in almost all newsagents and as little as?5 on high streets. Contrary to tobacco, the devices do not need to be concealed behind shutters. An 18-year old London rugby player who quit smoking for health reasons described e-cigarettes in his words as’smokeable fanta’. Experts believe they are designed to lure children into a lifetime of vaping addiction by the smell of cigarettes. They criticized the Government for not enforcing stricter regulations on vape companies. MailOnline was told by Professor Jonathan Grigg, a specialist in paediatric respiratory medicine at Queen Mary University of London that ministers had ‘given a bye’ to e-cigarettes. Professor Jonathan Grigg, a specialist in paediatric respiratory medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said that e-cigarettes have been ‘given a bye’ by ministers. EVERYTHING NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VAPING What are e-cigarettes?E-cigarettes are devices that allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke.They do not burn tobacco or produce tar or carbon monoxide — two of the most harmful parts of tobacco smoke.The devices work by heating liquid that contains nicotine and flavourings.They can come as vape pens — which are shaped like a pen or small tube with a tank to store e-liquid and batteries — or pod systems that are rechargeable and often shaped like USB sticks.Are they dangerous?E-cigarettes are not risk-free but are believed to cause less harm than smoking.However, its liquid and vapour contain harmful chemicals that are also found in traditional cigarettes, but it much lower levels. These chemicals have been linked to lung inflammation, chronic coughs, shortness of breath and lung disease.There have also been cases of e-cigarettes exploding or catching fire.Can children buy them?A law came into force in 2011 which made it illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s in the UK.However, there has been reports of children buying them directly from shops.What action do experts want?Campaigners have called for more funding to enforce the laws against underage sales, action on child-friendly packaging and labelling, as well as promotion on social media.And a Government-commissioned review published in June recommended a review of vape flavours to ensure they don’t appeal to young people. Javed Khan, a former chief of children’s charity, recommended that all cartoons and images related to vaping products be banned. Are there other countries that have taken similar action? The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Juul’s products in June. However, it found that there was not enough evidence for Juul to cause harm to public health. In July, the FDA halted its decision while it conducts an additional review of the company’s products. The US regulator had already banned fruity flavours in e-cigarettes. !– ad at https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/health/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html/id=mpu_factbox_1
Dr Zakariya Waqar Uddin, a Manchester NHS GP, said that it takes years for long-term effects to show. He fears that he will see young vapers in his surgery within the next 10 to 15 year. “I worry that we are sleepwalking into another chronic illness emergency. We don’t know what else we’re getting into at the moment. “What we do know is that we have a generation of addicted children and studies show that vaping can cause chronic diseases. This is a recipe for disaster. We’re on the verge of disaster. This was the first time that vaping causes this damage in people who have never smoked a cigarette. Although we don’t know the long-term effects, it is not likely to have any health consequences. Nicotine addiction and harm are both addictive. It makes my blood boil… If you walk down any high street, you’ll see vaping shops selling bright-coloured, kid-friendly flavours. “You have to suspect that they [companies] are trying to get people to use their products, which contain nicotine, to make them addicted to their products. The highest risk of becoming addicted to nicotine is for those between 15 and 18. Professor Turner explained that children’s brains are wired differently than adults, which makes it easier for them to become addicted to nicotine. “Getting someone addicted to nicotine early in life is like putting shackles around them for the rest of their lives,” he said. He also explained that other toxic chemicals found in vapes can also cause damage to the developing lungs. We know that toxic air pollutants can impair the growth and development of the lung. This is because any organ that is being exposed to these toxins during its development is particularly vulnerable. E-cigarettes allow you to inhale nicotine in a vapor — made by heating a liquid that typically contains propylene glycol and glycerine. However, inhaling any irritants can cause serious health problems. My lungs are delicate and I don’t see how it makes sense to inhale hot chemicals into them. According to Health officials, they believe they can play a crucial role in helping to end the deadly habit and weaning off the remaining 5 million smokers in Britain. It’s not just for kids! It’s not just for kids! Based on a YouGov survey of 13,000 adults, the figures show that 35% of vapers have smoked. Approximately 1.5 million of them are current smokers. Only 48% of vapers aged 18-24 use this type of device. !– ad at https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/health/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_2
Public Health England, now defunct, stated that vaping was 95 percent safer than smoking in 2015. But how much blood alcohol would you allow your taxi driver to have in his system while they are driving you? Professor Bush said that vaping can cause severe illnesses, such as death or the need for life support machines. These are rare. The worst thing that can happen to a smoker is that they throw it behind a bin. “So it seems absurd to me that we assume that e-cigarettes have longer-lasting effects than regular cigarettes. Professor Bush called for ecigarettes to be made prescription-only, warning that vaping is becoming more common. ‘A Government-commissioned review published in June recommended a review of vape flavours to ensure they don’t appeal to young people.The paper, by former children’s charity chief Javed Khan, also recommended that cartoons and images on vaping products be banned.Vaping websites have previously been caught advertising products next to a picture of sweets spilling out of a jar while five brightly coloured bottles presented under a banner reading ‘scrumdiddlyumptious’.Their cheap price has also been criticised, with popular Chinese-made Elf Bars and Geek Bars available for less than a fiver. They come with a built-in battery and can be used straight out of the box. However, children have been reported to buy them from shops without having to provide any identification. It is also possible to buy them online. Instagram and TikTok are flooded with people offering to sell the gadgets to kids. It is common for people to discreetly package the gadgets, even hiding them in chocolate boxes to fool parents. After more than two years, they started to experience breathing difficulties and have to use an inhaler every morning. They also struggle to last more than a few hours without puffing and often vape in the school bathroom. It really affects my mood. I plan around when I will get more. I feel really stressed if I don’t have it and then I smoke more when I do have it. MailOnline spoke to a 17-year-old from Inverness, Scotland, who said that they often have coughing fits after vaping for just over a year. Although I can’t blame vaping for all of it, the coughing started in the last six month. They said they didn’t like the taste and smell of traditional cigarettes and that they wouldn’t have become smokers if they made them taste the same as cigarettes. A third teenager, 18 years old, from South London, said that he noticed a rapid decline in his fitness after he started vaping regularly in 2020 due to boredom and lockdowns. “I quit sport due to the pandemic, and vaping was just something I did. My fitness was worse when I returned to rugby. “I used to be the fittest member of the team, and I won the cross-country race for the team. But when I returned, I was struggling more than anyone else. Although he had stopped using vaping for health reasons, he now believes it is more addictive than regular cigarettes. The best thing about vaping is that you don’t have to worry about the smell of cigarettes or having to burn ash. You can vape all day. I realized I was vaping all day and knew I had to stop. “And you have all the flavours and colours. It’s almost like smoking Fanta. He said, “They are very easy to obtain, even if your underage.” I know of shops that sell to underage people right this moment. “Some shops only accept cash so there is no proof that they are selling to children. All the children want them. It’s also easy to order them online. You can always order them from someone else and you don’t need to verify your age. Rosie Bird, 19 and Jess Hastings 19, both from Bristol, vape. But they do so for completely different reasons. Anxiety is another reason to be honest. Everyone does it. Jess, a customer assistant at Tesco explained that she vapes because it’s easier than smoking a cigarette and costs less to do so. They taste great and are easy to hold in your hand. Both agreed that vapes were bad for their health and said: ‘We know they’re not good for us. Jess stated that he doesn’t know why vaping is bad for your health. However, he hasn’t had any adverse effects on my health as a result of vaping – but it doesn’t seem to be stopping anyone. Joe Carne (18 years old), a college student from Bristol, stated that he prefers vapes to cigarettes because they’re cheaper. He said that he just wanted the cheapest option because of all the other things going on. “Also, they are so popular now. Even if I didn’t buy them, a lot of my friends do, so I would still smoke them. Joe answered a question about vapes and whether it influences him to buy them. To be honest, I enjoy smoking them. They taste good, so I guess the flavours can help. To me, cigarettes taste disgusting so I prefer a vape to a ciggy. “.But a Bristol vape shop worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said to MailOnline that ecigarette marketing was responsible for the rise in underage smoking. Although I don’t wish to admit it, the sweet flavours and colours play a part in the sales of e-cigarettes to underage children. I think the flavours are helpful to a certain extent because they don’t taste like cigarettes. This means that children who want to smoke cigarettes to look cool or because they are addicted can do so with a sweet substance which doesn’t taste gross. “There are many corner shops that don’t know the laws of tobacco, let alone how to sell vapes to children under 18. Many sell them over the counter, and there are no penalties for them.
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