Jump to the latest information and resources
There is an interesting history to vapes, with the first modern e-cigarette invented for good reasons and appearing to be a timely saviour to a deadly addiction.
But in the 18 years since they were first introduced in the UK, rather than coming of age, the dark side of vaping is beginning to become more apparent. What was once an innovative smoking cessation tool, is increasingly ensnaring children and young people in a nicotine seine net.
When I was at school in the 00’s, smoking had mostly fallen out of fashion, so the 80s stereotype of big-haired girls sneaking a ciggie in the toilets was a thing of the past. You only hung-out in there if you wanted the best gossip (yes, I used to sneak into the girls) or you were escaping Mrs Davies’ Welsh Class.
Today, we’ve gone back to the 80s but with a modern twist. Stories are emerging of schools removing the main doors of toilet blocks, employing CCTV cameras to monitor the entrances, and installing “vape detectors” above cubicles to provide the tell-tale timestamp to track down vagrant vapers.
Over-kill? Or saving lives?
Last month, the story of Sarah Griffin came to light after an appearance on This Morning and numerous articles from the BBC and other legacy media outlets. Having first tried a vape at the age of 9, this 12 year-old girl in Northern Ireland wound-up in intensive care and was placed into an induced coma for four days to bring an infection affecting her lungs under control.
Though they were ultimately able to save her life, doctors pointed the finger of blame directly at vaping, which had exacerbated her asthma and put her life at risk.
Sarah’s story is being shared as part of an anti-vaping campaign from the charity Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke. As their campaign page describes:
Many people may think there is little, or no risk of personal harm associated with regular vaping. The biggest misunderstanding about vapes is that they are harmless compared to cigarettes.
This is not true. The long term health implications are unknown – just as they once were with tobacco.
https://nichs.org.uk/vaping
As I’m sure is the case at many adventure playgrounds, we have watched at The Venture as vaping has become more-and-more prevalent as time marches on, and even more concerning as their use is discovered amongst children of younger-and-younger ages. Discarded disposable vapes, too, are now a common visual of the crisp packet and pop bottle litter landscape.
With the general positive perception of vapes as a way to help people stop smoking tobacco, without a clear catalogue of evidence demonstrating the dangers of vaping, calls to curtail their use will struggle to break through – particularly to children and young people.
Moves are, nonetheless, underway to try to tackle youth vaping. In September, Public Health Wales released new guidance on vaping for secondary schools. And in October, Rishi Sunak announced a public consultation on plans, backed by all the devolved nations and administrations, to create a “Smokefree Generation” – this includes the intention to clampdown on access to vapes by children.
…the health advice is clear – if you don’t smoke, don’t vape and children should never vape.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-next-steps-to-create-smokefree-generation
The consultation is open until 6th December. Please take part if you can. [THIS CONSULTATION HAS NOW CLOSED]
You can view the full online advice session delivered by Northern Ireland Chest Heart and Stroke on YouTube, and below that we’ve included some useful links from the presentation. We will also continue to compile useful links and resources at the bottom of this page which may be of use to playworkers and youth workers.
Useful links and resources
https://teen.smokefree.gov/quit-vaping/how-to-quit-vaping – A guide from The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in the United States aimed at teenagers
https://truthinitiative.org/ – A United States campaign tackling tobacco use and nicotine addiction
https://noifs-nobutts.co.uk/ – Welsh campaign to report illegal tobacco (and e-cigarette sales)
National Register of Tobacco Retailers – Home (tobaccoregister.ie) – Practice and legislation from the Republic of Ireland to limit the sale of tobacco
ARTICLE: How can we stop children vaping? [28/11/23, BBC]
BRIEFING PAPER: ‘Addressing common myths about vaping‘ from ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)
LEAFLET: ‘Know It Before You Blow It‘
The Playwork Foundation 