Doctors Warn of Health Harms from Vaping in Children
A review of 81 studies on vaping has found links to breathing problems, nicotine dependence, and other health issues in children and young people.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has sounded the alarm on the potential health harms of vaping in children and young people.
Vaping has been linked to higher rates of breathing problems and evidence of harm in babies whose mothers used vapes while pregnant, according to a review of 81 studies into the issue.
The RCPCH is calling on the UK government to go further in its proposals to place new restrictions around the sale of vapes, including limiting the number of flavours that are available.
The review found associations with problems including wheezing and coughing, poor oral and dental health, poor sleep, mental health problems, and eye symptoms.
Experts from the RCPCH are urging the government to take action to make vaping less attractive and accessible to children.
"We must act to make vaping less attractive and accessible to children," said Prof Will Carroll, co-author of the systematic review.
The government has launched a 12-week consultation on the appearance, packaging, and display of vapes, with the aim of reducing the appeal of the products to children.
As part of the new proposals, packs would need to be plain with strict limits on branding and only simple flavour descriptions used.
Other restrictions would move vapes out of sight in shops, similar to how cigarettes and tobacco are currently sold.
The RCPCH is also calling for the government to limit the types of flavours available to children, rather than just their descriptions.
According to a poll for the charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), almost one in five 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain have tried vaping.
Ash chief executive Hazel Cheeseman said: "The evidence remains clear that vaping is less harmful than smoking but is not risk free."
She added: "As it was with tobacco, strong controls on marketing and promotion will be key to reducing youth vaping."
The Department of Health and Social Care has said that children should never vape and that the evidence shows just some of the risks associated.
A spokesperson said: "We have already banned single-use vapes and have legislated to ban advertising and sponsorship from next year too.
"We're also consulting on proposals to crack down on packaging that appeals to children."
The RCPCH is urging the government to take action to protect children from nicotine products.
"We need to keep pace with a rapidly evolving market and continue to take action to protect children from nicotine products," said Vice-president for policy of the RCPCH, Dr Mike McKean.
The new proposals are part of the government's aim to create the UK's first smoke-free generation.
Children aged 17 or younger now face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes, since it will be illegal for shops to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
Dr McKean said the new act was "an important step towards protecting children from nicotine addiction, but it must not be seen as a one-and-done solution".
## The Risks of Vaping in Children
Vaping has been linked to a range of health issues in children and young people, including:
| Problem | Description | | --- | --- | | Wheezing and coughing | Respiratory symptoms | | Poor oral and dental health | Oral health issues | | Poor sleep | Sleep problems | | Mental health problems | Mental health issues | | Eye symptoms | Eye problems |
The RCPCH is calling for the government to take action to protect children from nicotine products and to make vaping less attractive and accessible to children.
## Protecting Children from Nicotine
The government has launched a 12-week consultation on the appearance, packaging, and display of vapes, with the aim of reducing the appeal of the products to children.
The RCPCH is urging the government to take action to protect children from nicotine products and to make vaping less attractive and accessible to children.
"We need to keep pace with a rapidly evolving market and continue to take action to protect children from nicotine products," said Vice-president for policy of the RCPCH, Dr Mike McKean.
The new proposals are part of the government's aim to create the UK's first smoke-free generation.
Children aged 17 or younger now face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes, since it will be illegal for shops to sell tobacco to anyone born after 1 January 2009.
Dr McKean said the new act was "an important step towards protecting children from nicotine addiction, but it must not be seen as a one-and-done solution".
