Concerns are being raised on the bright packaging on vaping products, saying it may be targeting young people and those who have never previously vaped.
According to a recent BBC report, experts and school leaders are warning after it came into light that vaping is on the rise among teens. NHS Digital data, released in September last year, suggests vaping among secondary school children is rising.
The government has said it has strict rules to prevent children from vaping. The long-term effects of vaping are unknown. However, it is much less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
Brendan Canavan, an assistant professor in marketing at the University of Nottingham, said he believed the bright colours and branding of the products meant they were being targeted towards youth culture.
“It’s quite sophisticated, much like you would expect to see in the supermarket down the cereal aisle,” he told BBC.
“It’s bright and cheerful and it’s referencing a lot of youth culture stuff, that could be seen as quite interesting and cool at school.
The report cited pupils at Bramcote College in Nottinghamshire saying that they were increasingly seeing more peers vaping- both in real as well as on social media.
“I think it is quite worrying, even when I’m walking down the street or coming into college, it’s quite worrying how many people I see vaping, or hiding vapes so they don’t get caught with them.”
“You see it on lots of platforms, such as Tik Tok and Instagram, you see people vaping on the videos.
The school has acted by sending out letters to parents and guardians, stated the report.
It comes days after Trading Standards officials survey revealed that most (60 per cent) said their main worries illegal vapes and the sale of vaping products to children are, pointing the two issues as the top threats on the UK’s High Streets.
Mobile phone shops, gift shops and convenience stores are among the shops found to be selling the devices to children.
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