Children openly vaping outside Hull school as fears grow for young people's health

More than a quarter of 11 to 17-year-olds have tried e-cigs more than once

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Shortly after the clock strikes 3pm, children pour out of the gates of a Hull secondary school.

As soon as some cross the road, they have already taken out an increasingly popular accessory and are using it in full view of the school building. With their bright colours and flavours such as mango, kiwi and passion fruit, an onlooker could be forgiven for thinking it is all child's play.

But the plumes of smoke going up just a short walk from the school gates reveal that the latest must-have item for at least some pupils is the vape. And while the issue of smoking underage is nothing new, what is alarming parents and health professionals are the colours and flavours of the devices, which look like they are made for young people.

READ MORE: 'I'm a vaper, here's why I'm worried about it'

Vaping and e-cigarette use has been on the rise for the past 10 years. Some smokers say the tobacco-free devices have helped them to give up cigarettes, and the industry insists that they are not deliberately trying to sell vapes to children, which would be illegal.

However, it is not against the law for underage people to vape and when the Local Democracy Reporting Service visited a popular public space close to a secondary school, just as pupils were leaving for the afternoon, it seemed clear that at least some children had taken to the new trend. Some stood in groups vaping openly minutes after leaving the school, while others walked past blowing fumes from e-cigarettes without any effort to hide the habit.

One pupil could be seen taking a glance over his shoulder before getting out his e-cigarette in order to vape. Others, who looked to be aged between 14-15, passed them around. Some of the devices were cased in multi-coloured plastic

Our visit came after a joint study by Hull City Council and East Riding Council found that 95 per cent of young people aged 11-17 were at least aware of vaping. More than a quarter had tried it at least once. This compares to just 4.7 per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds who smoke at least occasionally.

The councils surveyed 5,319 school pupils. More than 28 per cent of girls said they had vaped, compared with just under a quarter of boys. Almost one in 200 pupils aged 11 vaped regularly, but this figure rose to almost a fifth of 17-year-olds (18.6 per cent). The majority of 16 to 17-year-olds, 53.1 per cent, had tried vaping at least once.

Up to a third of 16 to 17-year-olds said that their parents knew they vaped, but did not mind. More than two fifths of those who vaped occasionally said they craved a vape if they had not had one for a while.

About a quarter of those who vaped regularly said they skipped lunch or going out so that they could afford an e-cigarette. When pupils were asked why they vaped, the most common explanation was that they liked the different flavours and taste, or that they just wanted to give it a try.

The students said that the vapes themselves were easier to get than cigarettes – and were cheaper. Almost a quarter of those currently vaping said that they were addicted, with 16.7 per cent saying they felt left out if they did not.

More than three fifths of 16 to 17-year-olds felt vapes were marketed at young people, far more than the two fifths who thought they were aimed at smokers. Almost half of young people who had seen vapes advertised said it was in shops, with the social media platform TikTok the second most common place, followed by Instagram.

The three most popular brands mentioned by those who took part in the survey all sell e-cigarettes that are brightly coloured. Flavours include gummy bear, blueberry bubblegum and pink lemonade. A third of those who vape regularly – and more than half of those who do it occasionally – said they would stop if tobacco was the only flavour.

Despite it being illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under 18s, more than 14 per cent of those surveyed said it was easy for them to buy them. The most popular place to get them was from corner shops, followed by friends.

The extent of vaping amongst young people in the East Riding prompted one councillor to call for a crackdown last month. Councillors backed a call to ask the Government to take part in the deployment of new trading task forces to crack down on underage vape sales.

Cllr Dale Needham (Pocklington Provincial ward), who spearheaded the call, said children vaping in lavatory bowls to avoid detection had replaced smoking behind bike sheds in many local schools. Brightly coloured vapes were a sinister attempt to both market them at children and help keep them hidden from teachers by making them look like school stationary, he added.

To date, council trading standards teams have seized more than 3,000 illicit vapes in shops including in Goole, Beverley, Bridlington and Withernsea. The council has tasked Xyla Health and Wellbeing to go into schools to educate teachers and pupils about vaping in the next academic year.

Cllr David Tucker, the East Riding's health portfolio holder, said: "There is still little evidence about what the potential long term health risks may be. We don’t want young people thinking it is normal and safe."

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In Hull, a recent presentation to councillors warned that the short-term effects included coughing, headaches, dizziness and sore throats, with the long term impact unknown. One potential problem is thought to be "popcorn lung" – a build-up of scar tissue in the organ that blocks the flow of air. Some studies have linked the chemical diacetyl, which is used in vape liquids, to the condition.

Claire Farrow, a health official specialising in children and young people for Hull City Council, said: "These disposable vapes are quite cheap and accessible, they're pocket money prices. The industry says they're not promoting vapes to children and young people, but young people tell us they know they're being marketed to.

"Some young people who do it say they do because it looks cool. But they're also asking for help, support and advice, including less appealing packaging."