Newcastle councillors have united in calls for the Government to crack down on the sale of vapes and protect children from a “ticking time bomb”.
City politicians heard stark warnings this week about the potentially devastating impact that e-cigarettes can have on children, with worries that their use could cause a public health catastrophe.
While seen as a tool to help adults quit smoking, vapes do still contain nicotine and investigations have found some products also have unsafe levels of “toxic” chemicals.
Newcastle City Council has now urged ministers to put new restrictions on vapes – including requiring them to be in plain packaging, mandatory age of sale signage, and a ban on free samples being given out to people of any age.
While it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, Lib Dem Councillor Wendy Taylor accused vape manufacturers of “deliberately trying to get our children hooked on nicotine” as she brought a motion to a full council meeting on Wednesday.
Cllr Taylor, a consultant at the Freeman Hospital, added: “Why else would disposable vapes be clearly advertised and marketed to children using cartoons, bright colours and different flavours? With pocket money prices, brand names like Elf Bar, Lost Mary and Juul, and a loophole in the law that allowed vapes to be given away for free to minors, is it surprising that they are attractive?
“Children become addicted to nicotine much faster than adults and we don’t know the long-term effects of vaping. There’s also the problem that many of the products on sale in the UK are illicit and may contain banned chemicals or super strength nicotine.
“Some vapes have also been shown to have high levels of toxic chemicals, including nickel, lead and chromium, which could seriously damage children’s health. The potential long-term damage these products could cause is frightening .”
Research has shown that the number of 11 to 18-year-olds using vapes jumped from 4% in 2021 to 8.6% in 2022, while nearly 100,000 children in the North East have reportedly tried vaping.
Three shops in Byker were recently closed down after being found selling counterfeit cigarettes and vapes, in some cases to children as young as 10.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service recently revealed concerns from a parent that hoards of youths were flocking to shops on Shields Road to buy vapes.
Labour’s deputy council leader, Karen Kilgour, seconded the cross-party motion on Wednesday and said that there was a “complete lack of regulation” for vaping compared to tobacco, alcohol and drugs.
She added: “The health risks associated with vaping are becoming increasingly apparent – from lung injuries and respiratory illnesses, to addiction and compromised brain development. Our young people are being exposed to a ticking time bomb.”
Cllr Kilgour said that 40 children and young people in England were admitted to hospital for vape-related disorders last year, up from 11 previously.
Rishi Sunak announced in May that he would stop free samples of vapes being given to children and launch a review into banning retailers selling “nicotine-free” vapes to under-18s.
The Prime Minister said: “The marketing and the illegal sales of vapes to children is completely unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to end this practice for good.”
