Disposable vapes ‘must be banned to tackle youth crisis’

DISPOSABLE vapes should be banned because they are increasingly used by children and are harmful to the environment, doctors have told ministers.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned that ‘youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic’ and more must be done to tackle the crisis.

Disposable vapes, rather than rechargeable devices, are the popular choice among youngsters and are mostly bought from corner shops. In response to the Government consultation on e-cigarettes, which closes today, the College says the devices ‘are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive as traditional cigarettes’.

It is calling for urgent action to protect youngsters, saying longerterm data is needed on the effects of vaping, particularly in regard to cardiovascular disease.

‘Because e-cigarettes have only been on sale in the UK since 2007, long-term studies don’t yet exist,’ it said. ‘It took experts decades to fully understand the impact of traditional cigarettes, we cannot risk our children’s health in waiting this long again.’

There has been a 50 per cent rise in the last year in the UK in the proportion of children trying vaping, data from Action on Smoking and Health has revealed.

In 2021, child vapers were least likely to use disposables (7.7 per cent) but in 2022 the devices became the most used (52 per cent) and this has continued to grow to 69 per cent this year.

In its submission, the RCPCH also said the ‘serious environmental impact of disposable e-cigarettes’ must not be ignored, noting they are difficult to recycle and often cause fires in UK waste plants.

Dr Mike McKean, vice president for policy at the RCPCH and a paediatric respiratory consultant, said: ‘Youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic and I fear that if action is not taken, we will find ourselves sleepwalking into a crisis.’

‘Just as addictive as cigarettes’