Cllr Bill Withers, County Councillor for Aldershot South, proposed a formal motion at Full County (20 July) on tackling underage vaping that received unanimous cross-party support, acknowledging the impact of teen vaping on health, as well as the environment, and the need for further and ongoing action to address the problem.
Whilst vaping can be a useful aid to help smokers quit, national advice suggests vapes should not be used by children and young people and by people who do not smoke, because the long-term risks are not yet known and because nicotine vaping products are addictive. Whilst the law explicitly bans the sale of nicotine vaping products to those aged under 18 years old, there is a growing concern around underage vaping within our communities due to the addiction and potential harm both long term and in extreme cases in the short term.
There are also illegal products on the market that contain harmful chemicals such as lead and nickel. High levels of inhaled lead can damage children’s central nervous system and brain development. Other illegal vapes may contain nicotine - when they claim not to - or THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) chemicals, which is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis.
Nationally, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping has grown from 7.7% in 2022 to 11.6% in 2023. In total, 20.5% of children have tried vaping, up from 15.8% in 2022 and 13.9% in 2020.
A recent survey across secondary schools and colleges in Hampshire shows a large increase in the percentage of young people both experimenting with and using vapes. The survey shows that youth experimentation with vapes increases from 4% in year 7 to 53% in year 13. Similarly, vape use increases from 7% in year 10, to 18% in year 13.
Following this motion, Hampshire County Council will now seek to strengthen targeted work in education settings, as well as strengthen enforcement of underage sales restrictions at retail outlets, aiming to create a comprehensive framework that educates and protects our youth from the dangers associated with vaping.
Hampshire Director for Public Health, Simon Bryant, has warned that children and young people are potentially at risk from vaping stating:
"Vapes should not be used by children and young people, and non-smokers should not start vaping. The health effects of vaping can include headaches, coughing, insomnia, worsening of asthma symptoms, and throat and mouth irritation.
"As vapes are a relatively new product, the long-term health effects are still not known as there is not enough research into long-term use. Exposing children and young people to nicotine, which is highly addictive, could have negative impacts on developing brains."
Commenting, Leo Docherty MP said:
"Smoking is the leading preventable cause of premature death in our county, and vaping is a useful tool to help assist people quit this habit, however, vapes were never designed to be used in the way we are currently seeing by young people.
"Not only are single-use vapes damaging to the environment, with over a million vapes thrown away every week in the UK, but as Simon Bryant has outlined, they are potentially damaging to the long-term health of young people in our community.
"I welcome this motion put forward by our fantastic councillor here in Aldershot South, Bill Withers Lt Col (Retd), and I look forward to working together with him on this issue."
If you are concerned over a shop selling vapes to those underage, or stocking illegal vapes, you should report this to Hampshire Trading Standards.
More information about the uses and effects of vaping can be found on the NHS website.