'It's heartbreaking' – Shop owner calls for action after children as young as ten spotted vaping
The owner of a vape shop is calling for more to be done after seeing "children as young as 10" pick up the habit.
Tom Peach, who runs Sluice Juice in Newport has said that disposable e-cigarettes are making it too easy for children to start vaping.
NHS figures from 2021 showed that nine per cent of 11 to 15-year-old children vaped, up from six per cent in 2018. The same study showed 18 per cent of 15-year-olds had taken up the habit.
Campaigners have raised concerns that e-cigarette marketing is being targeted at teenagers who do not smoke rather than smokers trying to quit, with the bright colours and range of flavours appealing to young people.
But Tom, who has run Sluice Juice for seven years, said many campaigners are getting it wrong.
"Advertising shouldn't even be an issue," Tom explained, "because children shouldn't be seeing these products in shops to begin with.
"I wouldn't want to see a ban on colourful marketing, because it does need to attract adults who are stopping smoking.
"I'm championing quitting smoking, not starting vaping. It can be an amazing thing, it stopped me from smoking completely and it does need to be championed.
"Disposables are the issue. Before they came around children could never get hold of vaping products. It's heartbreaking to see kids as young as 10 or 11 vaping."
Figures also showed that the majority of vapers are now using the disposable products, with 52.8 per cent of vapers using them in 2022, compared with 7.8 per cent in 2021.
Tom added: "Now, they're cheap, they're in easy reach at supermarkets, they're buying them from Facebook Marketplace or from shops that aren't following the rules.
"Also, 1.3 million a week are thrown away in landfill. It's awful, I'd rather see a total ban on them."
A typical disposable vape pen, designed for single use, contains plastic, copper, rubber and a lithium battery.
Some parts, like the battery, can be recycled but others may not be. Most disposable vapes however are not designed to be taken apart easily.
In addition, the shop owner says, schools and parents need to be doing more to teach children about the dangers.
"Because it is safer than smoking, it's almost been accepted. Kids need to know this isn't sin-free and a little more advice needs to be around it.
"That's what supermarkets and corner shops are missing, staff there aren't able to advise about how much nicotine you need, how much you should be having, They're not controlled and staff are not trained."
Earlier this month, at the Telford & Wrekin full council meeting Newport Councillor Thomas Janke, asked fellow councillors for their opinion on the regulation of vaping products.
Mr Janke was calling on the council to support a growing national call for vapes to be regulated in much the same way as tobacco products - with plain packaging and a requirement for products to be out of sight behind shop counters.
He said: "Far too often we see young people well under the age of 18 using vapes without fully understanding the consequences of nicotine addiction, most of whom have never smoked before in their life."
In the meeting, Councillor Kelly Middleton said she intended to write to the Health Secretary, asking the Government to put into action healthy policy recommendations in light of growing evidence of increases in underage vaping.
Mr Janke said the council's response was "fairly positive" and has plans to meet with Councillor Middleton to discuss engaging with local schools to educate young people about the potential dangers of vaping, and enforcement strategies to tackle the illegal sale of vaping products to children.
"I also want to engage with local businesses who sell these products and parents," Councillor Janke added, "so as a community we can help stamp out the sales of vaping products to young people under 18 years of age."
