Children’s doctors are calling for an outright ban on disposable vapes to reduce their popularity among young people as the long-term impact on lungs, hearts and brains remains unknown.
The government should ban single-use disposable vapes, which can be bought for just £1.99 and are most popular with young people, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said.
This would reduce their environmental impact and discourage children who have never smoked from taking up vaping and risking long-term addiction and lung damage.
Dr Mike McKean, the RCPH vice-president and a paediatric respiratory consultant, said the college had made a “very carefully considered call”, reflecting concerns from its members about the “epidemic” of child vaping, the limited research into the longer-term health impacts, and the small but growing numbers of children with respiratory problems.
“If you know about lung development, you know that if you inhale potentially noxious, volatile substances there is a huge potential for an inflammatory reaction that could have a minor or a major effect. There is lots of evidence it causes significant coughing and breathlessness. We’re not seeing lots of highly damaged lungs yet, but there are cases reported where the inflammatory response is overwhelming and causes permanent scarring.”
While he though Australia’s approach, where vapes are only available on prescription,
might overburden the NHS, he said England’s permissive approach was “out of step” with neighbouring countries such as Scotland, France, Germany, and Ireland. So far, England has banned free vape samples for under-18s and may prohibit colourful packaging and flavour names that target younger people.
Ministers have the power to “easily” ban disposable vapes, he said, and he hopes they would respond “as fast as possible” to its call for evidence on youth vaping, which closes on 6 June, to avoid the problem getting kicked into the political long grass ahead of the next general election. “If you’re 12 and starting to vape regularly we can’t wait for that 12-year-old to be 13 or 14, we need action now.”
The ban would also reduce the environmental harm caused by e-cigarettes, which waste lithium needed for batteries to power electric cars and increase plastic waste, as 1.3 million vapes are thrown away every week in the UK.
Children’s doctors are calling for an outright ban on disposable vapes to reduce their popularity among young people as the long-term impact on lungs, hearts and brains remains unknown.
The government should ban single-use disposable vapes, which can be bought for just £1.99 and are most popular with young people, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has said.
This would reduce their environmental impact and discourage children who have never smoked from taking up vaping and risking long-term addiction and lung damage.
Dr Mike McKean, the RCPH vice-president and a paediatric respiratory consultant, said the college had made a “very carefully considered call”, reflecting concerns from its members about the “epidemic” of child vaping, the limited research into the longer-term health impacts, and the small but growing numbers of children with respiratory problems.
“If you know about lung development, you know that if you inhale potentially noxious, volatile substances there is a huge potential for an inflammatory reaction that could have a minor or a major effect. There is lots of evidence it causes significant coughing and breathlessness. We’re not seeing lots of highly damaged lungs yet, but there are cases reported where the inflammatory response is overwhelming and causes permanent scarring.”
While he though Australia’s approach, where vapes are only available on prescription,
might overburden the NHS, he said England’s permissive approach was “out of step” with neighbouring countries such as Scotland, France, Germany, and Ireland. So far, England has banned free vape samples for under-18s and may prohibit colourful packaging and flavour names that target younger people.
Ministers have the power to “easily” ban disposable vapes, he said, and he hopes they would respond “as fast as possible” to its call for evidence on youth vaping, which closes on 6 June, to avoid the problem getting kicked into the political long grass ahead of the next general election. “If you’re 12 and starting to vape regularly we can’t wait for that 12-year-old to be 13 or 14, we need action now.”
The ban would also reduce the environmental harm caused by e-cigarettes, which waste lithium needed for batteries to power electric cars and increase plastic waste, as 1.3 million vapes are thrown away every week in the UK.