Vaping: We should follow Australia's ban, says teacher

A teacher has called for the UK to take "a leaf out of Australia's book" by bringing in stricter laws on vaping.

Under new laws in Australia vapes will be available by prescription only.

Teacher and union secretary UCAC Chris Shaw added: "They as a country banned vapes for everybody except those on plans from their GPs and that seems to be a sensible way forward."

On Tuesday, the UK government said it would close a loophole allowing shops to give free vape samples to children.

The Welsh government said it would publish its plan for preventing children and young people vaping.

First Minister Mark Drakeford said he favoured "tighter regulations," and admitted that Welsh ministers had "failed to do it when we had the chance [in 2016], we mustn't fail again".

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The UK Vaping Industry Association said these products "are not designed for children" and said it was willing for increased fines to stop these products being sold to children.

Earlier this month, the Australian government brought in a range of new restrictions, banning recreational vaping.

A timeline for implementation will be announced at a later date.

It came as the number of vaping teenagers in Australia soared in recent years, as authorities said it is the "number one behavioural issue" in schools across the country.

"Ultimately they are products that contain nicotine, they are actively designed to encourage young people to become addicted," said Mr Shaw.

E-cigarettes can be purchased in a range of flavours

"There is a growing concern that the people selling these devices are concealing these devices within pens or USB sticks as a way of concealing them, potentially from teachers," he added.

"I think in an age where health and wellbeing is paramount to the curriculum of our learners, it is vital that schools are supported in the regulation of these vapes."

Mr Shaw added that his biggest concern was the long term health impacts, and therefore wants to see "much stricter and much tighter regulations".

"I think there's a worrying trend as well that lots of these vape shops are opening, some of them very close to schools, because I think they're aware that they can target children," he said.

Dr Sinan Eccles, a consultant in respiratory medicine, said he has seen patients admitted "with severe respiratory problems due to vaping" and who have "become extremely unwell".

He said that some "needed to go to intensive care and be on a ventilator while they recovered".

Dr Eccles said there is a lack of research on impact of vaping on young people

"We definitely see lots of common Bronchitis type symptoms, so breathlessness, a cough, wheezing.

"That can happen to people who vape and people who are exposed passively to vapor as well.

"We do see a smaller number of people who have a severe reaction. Those are small numbers of people, but they do become extremely poorly if that happens.

"The majority of people we've seen have been late teens, early twenties."

He said he was "concerned" that the number of young people vaping is "increasing at a rapid rate".

"We are seeing a quite a rapid take off in younger people. I think that's partly due to the marketing. I think it's probably partly due to disposable vapes coming onto the market, too," he said.

Dr Eccles said disposable vapes' "bright colours" make them attractive to young people

"[Vapes] can be brightly coloured, fruity flavoured and advertised in lots of different ways, much more than tobacco is, and I think that that certainly is attractive to a younger cohort of people," he said.

Stricter regulation of vapes would be a "step in the right direction", he said, but added "that's obviously dependent on people getting their vapes through official channels".

A secondary school teacher from Cardiff, who wished to remain anonymous, said he's seen pupils as young as 12 vaping at his school.

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"There's vaping in the toilet and there's vaping on the walk home as well, which is the main thing," he said.

The teacher said identifying which pupils are vaping is difficult, as there is "no lingering odour" compared to cigarettes.

"There's only so much we can do with the staff and the time and the resources we have. It's a government issue that is not being enforced properly."

'Wrong and irresponsible'

Dr Julie Bishop, director of health improvement at Public Health Wales said she was concerned the availability of vapes encouraged people to use them.

She said "people draw conclusions from something being available" believing that "if it was bad for me, I wouldn't be able to buy it".

"The kind of tactics being used by certain sections of this industry at the moment does suggest that they are seeking to recruit a new generation of addicts which is a cause for concern," she added.

"We've been inundated with requests from school for help.

"We'd really encourage parents to actively discourage the use of thee products amongst their children."

Director general, John Dunne, at the UK Vaping Industry Association says these products "are not designed for children".

"We've been pushing the government to take more action. We've called for increased fines for retailers who are selling these products to children," he said.

"These retailers need to be hit where it hurts them and that's in the back pocket."

The Welsh government said: "It is absolutely wrong and irresponsible that retailers can give children free e-cigarettes - and this practice must be stopped.

"E-cigarettes should never be used by children and young people, and we will publish a plan soon setting out what we must do to stop this."