April 2024
Firstly it should go without saying that children should not be vaping. It is illegal to sell vapes to children, but as we know, lack of government funding for Trading Standards has made policing the law difficult.
The statistics reported in the media from this Freedom of Information request, refer to 11 under-four-year-olds being admitted to hospital. While there is no reference to what harm, if any, was caused and how such young children came to be in possession of a vape, such occurrences should not be happening. We would urge vapers to ensure they keep their devices away from children, whether they are parents or not.
The media coverage calls for greater restrictions on vaping, which misses the point. We already have laws to protect children, we just need to enforce them. With 250 people dying every day from smoking, we have a public health duty to encourage adult smokers to quit, whether that is through the most effective method, vaping, or otherwise.