VAPES were once hailed as miracle devices to help adults ditch their smoking habits.
But now vaping has invaded sweet shops shelves, even more worryingly, the school playground.
The devices often come in fun-sounding flavours, like cotton candy, watermelon ice and cola.
So perhaps it’s no surprise vaping has proved popular among teens, and sometimes children even younger.
Figures from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) charity suggest 7.6 per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds now vape regularly or occasionally, up from 4.1 per cent in 2020.
In a bid to tackle the rising number of young people taking up vaping, the Government has announced that disposable vapes, like trendy Elfbar and Lost Mary brands, will be banned.
Most experts believe that vaping is nowhere near as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
However, we are now beginning to see the shocking health impact on younger people, with kids as young as nine showing up in hospital with devastating lung damage.
The latest figures from NHS England reveal that in the past year, there were 15 cases of under-nines being hospitalised with injuries ranging from bleeding lungs to lung collapse.
Here we look at all the ways vaping could be damaging young bodies:
1. Damage sperm
Young boys who vape risk passing on damaged genes to their future children.
A study from the universities of Southampton and Bergen in Norway found smoking increased the chances of their children developing asthma, obesity and lung problems.
The scientists warned that vaping could also cause similar health conditions.
The findings were “much more pronounced” in children whose fathers started smoking during puberty, compared to those who started smoking at any time before conception.
The evidence came from people whose fathers smoked as teenagers in the 60s and 70s, when smoking tobacco was much more common.
But nicotine found in e-cigarettes could have a similar effect, according to University of Southampton professor John Holloway.
He said: “It’s deeply worrying that teenagers today, especially teenage boys, are now being exposed to very high levels of nicotine through vaping.
“We can’t definitely be sure vaping will have similar effects across generations but we shouldn’t wait a couple of generations to prove what impact teenage vaping might have.”
2. Slow down brain development
Vaping nicotine can permanently affect brain development in people under the age of 25, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
It said that nicotine consumed during teenage years can harm the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood, and impulse control.
It can also change the way new memories are formed, which can increase the risk of addiction.
Each time a new memory is formed or a new skill is learned, stronger connections – or synapses – are built between brain cells.
Young people’s brains build synapses faster than adult brains.
Nicotine is known to influence the way these synapses are formed and can increase the risk of future addiction to other drugs.
3. Tooth decay
People who vape are more likely to experience tooth decay.
Decay is the top reason for hospital admission in under-18s in the UK.
Dr Michael Heffernan, a dentist at The Wessex Dental Specialist Care, which is part of Bupa Dental Care most vapes contain dangerous chemical that can harm your teeth.
But the very act of vaping and sucking in air could in itself lead to tooth decay.
He told the Sun: “When your mouth is dry, the harmful bacteria can grow and overcome your protective bacteria, and increased bacteria levels can lead to the development of tooth decay and gum disease,
“This often appears in the form of increased sticky plaque, which causes inflamed, swollen and bleeding gums, sensitive teeth and bad breath.
“We also know that nicotine (present in e-cigarettes) can restrict blood flow to the gums, and poor circulation can result in more significant gum disease around teeth and potential loss of dental implants.
“However, these effects are less harmful than smoking or chewing tobacco products.”
4. Heart disease
Many kids think of vaping as less harmful than smoking cigarettes because there is no smoke.
However, some of the chemicals found in vapes can be damaging to the heart.
The American Heart Association (AHA) released a scientific statement linking vaping among teens and cardiovascular disease.
“The latest research suggests that vaping is as harmful to the body’s cardiovascular systems as cigarettes,” said Dr Hoang Nguyen a cardiologist from MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute is California.
Vaping can also cause:
- Arterial stiffness (stiffening of the arterial wall causing hypertension)
- Higher blood pressure
- Hyperinflammatory response (severe inflammation) which can lead to blood clots and respiratory distress syndrome
- Increased heart rate
- Released adrenaline
These factors combine to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, even in otherwise healthy children and teens.
5. Lung disease
Vaping is giving children breathing difficulties and lung damage.
Dr Mike McKean, a paediatric respiratory consultant and vice president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said he was seeing a “disturbing” rise in children presenting to hospitals with breathing issues related to vaping.
“It’s a very difficult thing to study, firstly, because [vaping] not been going on for too long and it’s fair to say we’re not seeing large numbers of children with severe lung disease, but it’s certainly been reported now where people have developed lung disease related to vaping,” he told the BBC.
Jackson Allard, 22, was forced to have double lung transplant last year after his vaping habit left him on a life support machine.
In July, 20-year-old fitness fanatic Sean Tobin from the US, revealed his scan after a collapsed lung due to vaping.
His X-ray was riven with carbon deposits, which showed up as alarming black spots.
Certain chemicals found in vapes are know to cause acute lung injury and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and may cause asthma and lung cancer.
Researchers from the US found young people who vape are more at risk of bronchitis, inflammation of the airways, and shortness of breath.
The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found the odds of wheezing were 81 per cent more likely among past 30-day e-cigarette users than among “never users”.
The odds of bronchitic symptoms were twice as likely, while those of shortness of breath were 78 per cent more likely after accounting for survey wave, age, sex, race and parental education.
Anyone who has experienced an adverse effect to should report it to the UK’s Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) via the yellow card reporting scheme.
When will disposable vapes be banned?
The changes are expected to come into force towards the end of this year or in early 2025.
Announcing the move, Rishi Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.”
Health Secretary Victoria Atkins told BBC Breakfast that ministers “want to help children avoid the horrendous pull of a nicotine habit which for which vapes can very often be the gateway”.
She said banning disposable vapes will likely come into force early next year.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said parents would be “extremely relieved” at the proposals.
“When I asked children a couple of years ago about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, I was shocked and concerned to hear from children as young as 12 who told me that vaping was normalised among their peers – even on school premises,” she said.
“This announcement will help tackle that issue, and I know that many children and parents will be extremely relieved.”
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
