PM vows to stop children ‘getting hooked on nicotine’ from vaping
RISHI SUNAK has promised to “stop our kids getting hooked on nicotine” as a first study has found vaping damages mouth cells in the same way as cigarettes.
The changes in the make-up of the cells in the cheek lining that have been linked to cancer are the same for those using vapes as cigarettes, experts have discovered.
The revelations come as the Prime Minister is set to introduce a landmark ban on smoking and new restrictions on vapes to Parliament today.
Researchers from the University College London (UCL) stressed that the results of their study do not mean that vaping causes cancer, but the study is the first major insight into the impact of vapes on healthy human cells.
The study compared cells in the cheeks and blood of more than 3,500 healthy people who have never had cancer and regularly used either tobacco, e-cigarettes, or smokeless tobacco, such as snuff.
It revealed that the cheek cells of vape users had undergone similar alterations to its make-up as those seen in smokers and exposure for more than a year may damage the cells detoxification abilities, but that it was reversible if stopped. The changes to the epithelial cells, which line the organs and are typically where cancer starts, have been proven to progress to cancer in the lungs of smokers and experts have warned that vapes may “not be as harmless as initially thought”.
Mr Sunak will set out his landmark proposals to MPS today , which include a ban on disposable vapes, and new restrictions on flavours like berry burst and cherry blast, colourful packaging, and where they are placed in shops, to put an end to the targeting of children.
The number of people of all ages who use vapes has grown rapidly over the last decade to around five million, but officials are particularly concerned about the rise in young people vaping despite never having smoked.
Around 11 per cent of 18 to 24-yearolds regularly vape, according to charity Action on Smoking and Health, while eight per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds do. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will also mean children who are turning 15 this year or younger will never legally be sold tobacco. The legislation is expected to have cross-party support, but could face opposition from up to 100 Tory rebels including Liz Truss who oppose the move. Mr Sunak said: “If we want to build a better future for our children we need to tackle the single biggest entirely preventable cause of ill-health, disability and death: smoking.
“That is why, alongside new measures to curb the alarming rise in youth vaping, we are delivering on our commitment to create a smoke free generation and stop our kids from getting hooked on harmful cigarettes and other nicotine products.”
He said it would save lives and free up “billions” of pounds for the NHS.
Victoria Atkins, the health secretary, said the “landmark legislation” was the “single biggest preventable health policy in a generation” and would stop “young people from falling prey to a lifetime of nicotine addiction”.
Experts have said the UCL study published today, which is one of the first major assessments of e-cigarettes on healthy, non-blood cells, shows why more research is needed into vapes.
Prof Martin Widschwendter, a senior author of the study from UCL, said research revealed that “devices might not be as harmless as originally thought” and called for longer term studies into their use.
Cancer Research UK, which supported the study, said it “does not show that e-cigarettes cause cancer” but that it does prove they “were not risk free”.
Dr Ian Walker, the charity’s executive director of policy, said: “Studies have so far shown that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking and can help people quit. This paper does however highlight that e-cigarettes are not riskfree, and so we need additional studies to uncover their potential longer-term impacts on human health.”
He said that “nothing would have a bigger impact on reducing the number of preventable deaths in the UK than ending smoking”.
The changes to the epithelial cells seen in the study can be caused by a number of factors, including ageing and other lifestyle changes. The study also noted that the cells had reverted in former smokers suggesting any changes caused by vapes may not be permanent either.
The alterations to these cells have been linked to lung and cervical cancers in cigarette smokers.
In the study e-cigarette users had vaped weekly for at least six months and smoked less than 100 cigarettes in their life and vice versa for cigarette smokers.
Dr Chiara Herzog, the lead author at UCL, said: “We cannot say that e-cigarettes cause cancer based on our study, but we do observe e-cigarette users exhibit some similar epigenetic changes in buccal cells as smokers, and these changes are associated with future lung cancer development in smokers.”
She added that “we cannot assume [e-cigarettes] are completely safe to use”.
The study was published in Cancer Research, and supported by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme, The Eve Appeal, and Cancer Research UK.