Stark warning as number of kids in hospital due to vaping nearly QUADRUPLES in two years
VAPING hospitalisations in children have nearly quadrupled in two years, official figures show.
Some 40 kids with lung damage or worsened asthma were admitted last year, up from 11 in 2021, health bosses said.
Speaking at the NHS Confed Expo in Manchester on Wednesday, NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard described the surge as “worrying”.
It comes amid fears around growing use of e-cigarettes in children, with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health last week calling for an outright ban on disposable vapes.
Ms Pritchard said: “The RCPCH are right to call for action and the Government are right to be taking those calls seriously.
“It is seriously concerning that admissions for vaping related conditions for young people are up almost four-fold over the past two years.
“While to many young people, vaping can seem harmless with its deliberately appealing flavours, it can lead to lung damage.
“So it’s really important we nip this in the bud so we can keep young people out of hospital and prevent future health issues.”
One in ten children aged 11 to 15 regularly use e-cigs, NHS figures show — even though selling them to under-18s is illegal.
At least two pupils in every year 10 classroom have vaped at one point or another, according to the health service.
Booming popularity of brands like Elf Bar and Lost Mary has seen Rishi Sunak issue a public clampdown on their use.
The Prime Minister is closing a loophole allowing stores to offer free samples to young people.
Ms Pritchard said e-cigarettes have been a boon for the health service in terms of helping smokers quit.
She said: “But with that innovation has come a new challenge – the availability and attractiveness of e-cigarettes to our young people.”
Hazel Cheeseman, of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Amanda Pritchard is right that vaping is both a big opportunity to reduce smoking and that there are risks from teen vaping.
“Swift action is needed by Government to limit youth vaping and maintain the opportunity for adults to use vapes as a quitting aid.”