Vaping is not a ‘harmless part of growing up’, doctors warn

Experts say children are paying the price for vaping

The review, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, also looked at the effects of vaping during pregnancy. It found links between mothers vaping while pregnant and higher rates of breathing problems and other harm in their babies, adding to concerns about the risks associated with the products.

The college is calling on the Government to take stronger action over the sale of vapes, including reducing the number of flavours available. Its concerns are based on the range of health problems that have been associated with vaping, including poor oral and dental health, wheezing and coughing, eye symptoms, poor sleep and mental health problems.

The Government is being pushed to tighten the rules on vapes

Prof Will Carroll, one of the authors of the systematic review, said the findings should encourage efforts to make vaping less appealing and easier for children to avoid accessing, pointing to what he described as “clear links” between vaping and respiratory symptoms, nicotine dependence and later cigarette use.

Dr Mike McKean, the college’s vice-president for policy, also warned that the evidence around vaping is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

"Vaping is still a relatively new product, and there is much we do not yet know about its long-term impact on children and young people but a clear and concerning picture is emerging."

- Dr Mike McKean

The Government has already begun looking at ways to make vapes less attractive. In July, it launched a consultation on how the products are packaged and displayed, with proposals including plain packaging, strict limits on branding, straightforward flavour names such as “apple” and “cola”, and keeping vapes out of sight in shops.

The plans come after the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which means anyone aged 17 or under will face a lifetime ban on buying cigarettes. However, whether restrictions on vape flavours will ultimately be included remains unresolved, and is now a key issue being pushed by paediatricians.