A rise of vaping among young people has become a “pressing public health concern”, the Public Health Agency (PHA) has warned.
In June of this year, Parliament passed legislation to ban the sale of disposable vapes in an effort to curb youth vaping.
In light of the rising number of young people using vapes, the PHA has issued guidance for parents and guardians.
“We want to encourage and support families to have open and engaging conversations with young people to steer them away from these products,” a PHA spokeswomen said.
In a newly published research report, ‘Behavioural insights into youth vaping in Northern Ireland’ by Elaine Wilmot and Aine Hagan, the PHA has outlined the vaping and tobacco use among young people.
“E-cigarettes, or ‘vapes’, contain nicotine, and are extremely addictive. Young people are particularly vulnerable to nicotine addiction,” the PHA spokeswomen explained.
“Recent research by the PHA found that 15% of young people aged 11-18 years are current vapers, despite it being illegal to sell or supply vapes to under-18s.”
The PHA’s new research has also highlighted teachers’ concerns over the increase of young people vaping in recent years.
Many schools have taken measures to decrease vape usage with “formal policies to enforce a no vaping culture, monitoring of toilets at breaktimes and installation of vape detectors.”
“The PHA would advise anyone, if you don’t vape, don’t start. And if you do vape, try to quit,” PHA spokeswomen added.
Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC), Barry McElduff raised the issue of Youth Vaping with the Council in July 2023.
One part of his motion to the Council highlighted “that many vaping products are designed to be attractive to children,” referring to the issue as a “growing public health crisis” among young people.
Later, a follow-up Council-led Roundtable Discussion was held in September 2023 with representatives from the Department of Health, (DOH), PHA and Western Health & Social Care Trust.
During the Roundtable Discussion, Councillor McElduff said: “Collaboration between relevant bodies is essential in all of this.”
He stressed that continued research and “gathering of evidence” to explore the long-term effects of youth vaping were covered in the discussion.
“The issues of how to dispose of these vapes, gathering evidence as to the long-term damage these are doing to young people’s health, raising awareness and enforcement – all of these topics were covered, and we have agreed to meet again to maintain this focus.”
With the new disposable vape ban in place, Councillor McElduff told the Impartial Reporter that he hopes it will improve the health of young people and benefit the environment.
“I have no doubt that we are acting in the best interests, particularly of children and young people,” he said.
For more information and facts on vaping visit: www.publichealth.hscni.net/vaping