Vaping: Tighter rules calls after doubling in children using vapes

The proportion of 11 to 17-year-olds experimenting with vaping has doubled in less than 10 years

A doubling of children trying vaping within the past decade has prompted calls for tighter regulations.

Geoff Worsley, a father from Abergele, Conwy county, has set up a petition which has more than 100,000 signatures.

He said he was especially concerned about "brightly coloured packaging and sweet names attractive to kids".

YouGov data for Britain suggests experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds rose from 5.6% in 2014 to 11.6% in 2023.

The petition calls for more regulations for shops selling vape products as Mr Worsley believes just spending money on enforcement "is not enough".

"Vaping is safer and better for smokers than smoking, but it shouldn't be promoted to children," he added.

"Parents like me up and down the country are calling on the government to act to protect our children from vaping as well as smoking."

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Mr Worsley said he started the petition after his own teenage son began vaping.

"He was getting out of breath running up a couple of flights of stairs after starting to vape," he said.

The worried dad believed trading standards was so busy stopping illegal e-cigarettes it was difficult to make sure shops stuck to rules banning sales to under-18s.

"Vapes need to be reclassified - and treated as a tobacco product," he said.

He believed like cigarettes, they should be hidden from view.

"The government are five years behind the ball on this," he said.

During the YouGov survey, disposable vapes were the top e-cigarette of choice, while purchases of vapes were mostly made from corner shops.

It is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, but social media shows teenagers are accessing the products, and discussing flavours such as pink lemonade, strawberry, banana and mango.

Some parents are concerned that bright colours and fruit flavours are marketing vapes to a younger audience

Experts previously warned that a new generation of disposable vapes known as puff bars - which contain nicotine - have flooded the market.

In 2021, child vapers were least likely to vape disposables (7.7%) but in 2022 they became the most used (52%) and this continued to grow to 69% in 2023.

The latest survey of 2,656 youngsters was carried out by YouGov in March and April for Action on Smoking and Health (Ash).

It will be submitted as part of the UK government's call for evidence on measures to reduce the number of children accessing vaping.

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

An almost identical proportion said they usually bought their vapes, most commonly from a corner shop (26%).

Other places included petrol stations or petrol station shops (9.4%) and online (7.6%).

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said: "We need to stem the tide of child vape experimentation and the government's investment in a crackdown on illegal underage sales of vapes is a vital first step.

"But enforcement on its own won't do the trick without tougher regulation to address the child-friendly promotion of these cheap and attractive products."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said: "It's already illegal to sell vapes to children and we are exploring further ways to tackle youth vaping through our newly launched call for evidence, which will look at the appearance and characteristics of vapes, the marketing and promotion of vapes, and the role of social media."

How dangerous is vaping?

E-cigarettes have helped thousands of people stop smoking by removing tobacco from their habit.

But the vapour inhaled can contain small amounts of chemicals, including nicotine, which could carry risks.

There is concern young people are taking up vaping because they believe it is risk-free.

University of Nottingham's Professor John Britton, who advised the UK government on a report on ending smoking, said recently: "It's inconceivable to say that vaping is safe, it is a balance of risks.

"If you don't use nicotine in any shape or form, it is madness to start vaping."

He anticipated in 40 or 50 years' time, people would develop lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and other serious lung conditions because of vaping.

But those numbers are likely to be small.

The UK has some of the strictest vape regulations in the world.

Almost all marketing is banned, nicotine in the product is limited and only over 18s can legally buy them.

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