'I started vaping at 12 and now I can't quit - everyone is doing it'

A teenager who started smoking when she was 12 says she is now addicted and it is now having health implications she can't keep up with. Holly was speaking as new research found one in seven children have been caught vaping. Around half of parents whose children have been caught vaping were under 11 years old and almost two fifths bought them from friends at school.

Others took them from family members, bought them online or used a fake ID to buy vapes in shops. Just a fifth of parents are happy schools have adequate procedures in place to detect vaping but many parents say that their child’s school is increasingly communicating with pupils about the dangers of vaping. One in seven parentssay their child has been suspended for selling vapes during school time and a further one in eight have been expelled for dealing vapes on school premises.



Nicky Bowman, a mum of three, said: “My daughter started vaping at the age of 12 and is still addicted now. At the time, I never smelt her vaping in the house, so it was very difficult to monitor. "This isn’t about me being a ‘relaxed’ parent or not being diligent, it’s a really easy thing to miss as it’s so easy to hide.

My daughter really regrets starting now as it’s very expensive and she’s struggling to give up. The problem is even more difficult for schools to manage. "Most of these vapes wouldn’t even activate a smoke alarm so without searching the children or catching them in the act, it’s challenging.

The onus has to be on the Government to clamp down on access. My daughter had no challenges in buying them at the shop at just 12, which is where the problem started." Nicky’s daughter Holly said: “When I started vaping it was no big deal, just something that made me feel grown up and everyone else was doing it - at no point did I consider it long term.

They didn’t make me cough and the lack of odour meant I didn’t have to hide it from my mum or the teachers. The flavours made them even more appealing, it just felt like a nice thing to do. Little did I know I would quickly become addicted, when you’re 12 you don’t understand this concept and you’re not even mature enough to recognise it’s happening.

Five years later, I’m struggling to kick the habit, both the cost and health implications aren’t sustainable for me. It’s a decision I really regret.” Two fifths of parents welcome the Government’s new Tobacco and Vape Bill that will phase out the sale of tobacco and curb youth vaping.

However, a third would also like to see a national public awareness campaign educating people on how to safely dispose of single-use vapes. Mira Osinibi, Clinical Paediatric Respiratory Nurse Specialist said: “The biggest problem I’m seeing, particularly in my role as a paediatric respiratory nurse, is that vaping addiction in young people sits side by side with the time spent scrolling on social media. Many scroll on socials into the early hours whilst using their vape.

This means the amount of time spent vaping is far higher than they were ever designed to be used for. “It’s not as simple as telling young people to stop as many are already addicted. Access has to be limited to stop these younger children falling into the same trap.

This is something the Government has to tackle with a real sense of urgency. Whilst they smell nice and they don’t make these young addicts cough, they’re very much an unwelcome addition to children’s lives.” Colin Stitt, Head of Safer Schools at Ineqe Safeguarding Group , said: "This research is a stark warning: we must urgently safeguard our children and young people from the health risks and social harms of vaping.

Banning sales and use is just the first step. We need far stronger action to curb the promotion of these products and restrict access to them, both online and offline." "We call on the government to take decisive action and urge educators, parents, carers, and community members to educate children about the risks of vaping.

Open, honest, and non-judgemental conversations at home and school can dispel myths, empower young people to make informed choices, and minimise the influence of peers." Amy Brettell, Manager Director at Zurich Municipal, said: “Vaping has become a huge problem in schools in recent years and is now another challenge for teachers to tackle as we start a new academic year. “Teachers have an important role to play in educating children about the health risks associated with vaping, so it’s great to see more schools are doing this.

However, some young people will be unaware that some of these devices can be dangerous and start fires if they’re stored or discarded incorrectly. We would encourage schools to talk to children about this, especially as a lot of children may be hiding vapes and doing so in unsafe places.” Vaping vigilance tips Parents or teachers concerned about children vaping can visit Zurich Municipal’s partner and safeguarding experts, Ineqe , offer the following tips:.