Health chiefs have criticised firms for selling festive-flavoured vapes to children as they revealed 170 kids have been hospitalised from vaping.
More than one child every week is now being admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries, with the rate increasing five-fold in five years.
Health bosses said flavours such as mince pie, candy cane, Christmas pudding and gingerbread are ‘likely to be appealing to younger age groups’ but there is ‘nothing joyful or fun’ about the serious effect vaping can have on their health.
It is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s but NHS England found online stores are ‘pumping out Christmas deals and festive flavours’ that can be purchased with ‘little to no checks’.
It called on stores to tighten up their controls in a bid to stem the tide of children getting hooked on nicotine and falling ill.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said: ‘More than 30 children and young people being admitted to hospital oven seven months for conditions linked to vaping, such as breathlessness and potential lung damage, is simply alarming.
‘With vape companies pumping out Christmas deals and festive flavours, like Christmas pudding, candy cane, mince pies or gingerbread, they are likely to be appealing to younger age groups, and despite websites often stating vapes are for over 18s, it is possible to purchase them with little to no checks.
‘While vapes can be a useful tool to help adults quit smoking, they should not be used by children and under 18s – there’s nothing joyful or fun about the serious effect they can have on young people’s health as well as the potential long-term consequences.
Health bosses said flavours such as mince pie, candy cane, Christmas pudding and gingerbread are ‘likely to be appealing to younger age groups’ (file image)
More than one child every week is now being admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries (file image)
‘We urge online retailers to ensure they have proper checks in places, including age verification, to avoid young people purchasing festive flavoured vapes over the festive period.’
New analysis by NHS England reveals 31 children were admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries between March and October this year, a rate of 4.42 a month.
This is up from 11 child admissions across the whole of 2020/21, when the rate was 0.91 per month.
There were 37 such admissions in 2021/22, 40 in 2022/23 and 51 in 2023/24.
There have been 280 hospitalisations with vaping-related disorders across all age groups from March to October this year, up from 177 across the whole of 2020/21.
Youth vaping has more than doubled in the last four years, with the government blaming the ‘targeting of vapes to children via flavours, branding and advertising’.
In 2023, one in four 11 to 15-year olds had tried vaping.
Indoor vaping will be banned in public places and bright packaging and fruity flavours restricted as part of a major government crackdown on the habit.
New analysis by NHS England reveals 31 children were admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries between March and October this year (file image)
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Retailers will be forced to obtain a licence to sell vapes and tobacco and could face fines of up to £2,500 for breaching stricter rules.
Under ministers’ plans, manufacturers will have to sell vapes in plain packaging and stop producing tasty flavours in a bid to make them less attractive to children.
The gadgets will be hidden from view in shops, as is already the case with cigarettes, and there will be a ban on vaping advertising and sponsorship.
Shops could face on the spot fines of £200 if caught flouting the law by trading standards, while repeat offenders could face stiffer financial penalties in court and have their licence revoked.
The new ‘world-leading reforms’ feature in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which the Government introduced to Parliament last month [November].
Disposable vapes are also due to be banned from 1 June 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
The proposals, which will be subject to public consultation, are aimed at protecting children from becoming hooked on nicotine while enabling adult smokers to use vapes as a quit aid.
Professor Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, has described the rising numbers of children vaping as a ‘major concern’ and said the marketing of vapes to children is ‘utterly unacceptable’.
Caroline Cerny, deputy chief executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said: ‘Currently unscrupulous manufacturers can brand, and market vapes so they appeal to children which is unacceptable.
‘Vapes are a valuable quitting tool and less harmful than smoking, but as this data shows, they’re not risk free.
‘Legislation currently going through Parliament will help address this, and regulations to stop vapes being marketed to children must be prioritised.
‘While this data is very concerning, it must also be remembered that smoking remains far more lethal and many, many more children will be admitted to hospital each year as a consequence of exposure to smoke.
‘It is vital the Government continues to tackle smoking alongside developing responsible regulations for vapes.’