Paediatricians call for ‘outright ban’ on disposable vapes

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has urged the UK government to implement an ‘outright ban’ on disposable e-cigarette products, citing ‘disproportionate use’ among children and young people and their detrimental impact on the environment.  

Responding to the government’s call for evidence on youth vaping, the RCPCH said e-cigarettes are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so than traditional cigarettes.  

The organisation noted that long-term studies on the effects of using e-cigarettes don’t yet exist and they have even less evidence on the long-term impacts of these products on young lungs, hearts, and brains. 

They added that paediatricians are ‘deeply concerned’ about what this unprecedented rise in uptake will mean for future generations.  

“Without a doubt, disposable e-cigarettes should be banned. There is absolutely no reason that these cheap, readily available, brightly coloured, recreational products should be single use,” Dr Mike McKean, RCPCH VP for policy and paediatric respiratory consultant, said.  

“Youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children, and I fear that if action is not taken, we will find ourselves sleepwalking into a crisis. Westminster’s approach to this problem is out of step with even our closest neighbours, with countries such as Scotland, France, Germany, and Ireland all seriously considering a ban.”  

Dr. McKean added: “I have worked as a respiratory consultant for 21 years, so it is not lost on me that smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and disease in the UK. Cigarettes are the one legal consumer product that if used as recommended by the manufacturer will kill most of their users. We know this because we have 60+ years of research and data on cigarette use on a population level. But the research and data around widespread e-cigarette use is still very much in its infancy. We simply don’t know enough.  

“What we do know is that these products are not risk free, are likely to be damaging for developing young lungs and are also terrible for our environment. This is a lose, lose situation.”  

The British Paediatric Respiratory Society (BPRS) has also supported the RCPCH’s call for a ban on disposable e-cigarettes.  

“As an organisation dedicated to the health and well-being of children, we share the concerns raised by the RCPCH regarding the disproportionate use of disposable e-cigarette products among children and young people, as well as their detrimental impact on the environment,” Dr Julian Legg, BPRS president, commented.  

“While significant research and data exist on the population-level effects of cigarette use, the same cannot be said for widespread e-cigarette use. The chemicals within these products can be directly harmful to the lungs and the full effects of these toxicities are unlikely to be known for many years. By the time the full adverse effects are apparent it may be too late to reverse respiratory complications.”