By Aadil Ahmed Khan –

Have you ever wondered how vaping seems to be everywhere these days, particularly among young folks?

It’s crazy, right? It’s like that Spider-Man meme where Peter Parker keeps seeing Iron Man’s face everywhere he goes. I don’t know about you, but I see it everywhere I go. Be it a public area, a park, or a shopping mall, even the buses aren’t safe from the tooty fruity vapour.

Wherever you go you’ll find a bunch of kids gathered around together and blowing clouds of fruity vapour like it’s completely normal for them. Let’s talk about what’s going on with this whole vaping situation in the UK.

So, picture this, one day you’re walking down the street somewhere, and you see a group of teenagers puffing away loads of smoke from their mouths like it’s no big deal.

It’s become such a common sight, hasn’t it? But here’s the thing – even though we are well aware, that there are rules in place about the legal age for vaping, it seems as if no one is following them.

Vaping has evolved from a tool to assist adults in quitting smoking to a teen-driven craze. It has become a norm here now. I guess if you don’t vape, you don’t fit in. Typical, right?

Targeted Advertising

You see, vaping has become like a trend among young people. With all the flashy ads and cool flavours out there, no wonder that teenagers are attracted to it. I have to hand it to their advertising team, they’re doing a mighty good job with it.

By now everyone might have seen the eye-catching advertisements, the flashy coloured packaging, and the hundreds of entertaining flavours—such as blueberry cheesecake, peach, and watermelon.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to try out these flavours, right? Who wouldn’t want to give a fruity or candy-scented vape a try? It makes sense that teens are interested. All these products are meant to appeal to younger consumers, well let’s face it—they do.

But here’s the catch! Despite the rules saying you have to be a certain age to buy vape products, it’s not exactly hard for underage kids to get their hands on them. You see the GenZ has their way of getting around these laws.

I guess it’s quite cool to have an older friend who could help you buy this stuff. Maybe even siblings, or even retailers who don’t bother to verify IDs, who knows! Once they start, it can be tough to stop. That’s because vaping can be addictive, thanks to the nicotine in those e-liquids!

Vaping Risks

Vaping may appear risk-free at first because it doesn’t produce the same mess or stink as smoking cigarettes. The problem here is that vaping’s primary ingredient, nicotine, can make it equally or even more addictive than our traditional smoking.

And we’re not just talking about a tiny quantity here. Significant amounts of nicotine are present in many vape liquids, which can quickly become addictive for anyone if consumed in excess.

Now, we know for some people, it’s a way of quitting smoking cigarettes, which can be useful in the right direction for their health. But when it comes to young people, it’s a whole different story.

Since, their bodies are still developing, being exposed to nicotine at such a young age can cause all sorts of health problems down the line. Imagine starting to have cravings for a raspberry-flavoured vape but actually, that’s the nicotine you’re craving for.

Since vaping goods contain nicotine, which can seriously harm a person’s brain, not to mention our teenage population.

Nicotine can impede the brain development of teenagers, as their development is still ongoing. Research has indicated that nicotine may have an impact on mood management, learning and attention.

Additionally, it might make mood disorders more likely to occur later in life. So, if you notice your child has started behaving odd and is now throwing more tantrums at you than before, well…you know where this is headed, right?

Education and Prevention

I guess that’s why it’s safe to talk about the risks of vaping, especially with teenagers. We need to make sure they understand that it’s not just harmless fun, but it can have serious consequences for their wellbeing, and that’s where education comes in!

Just imagine if schools started educating kids about the dangers of vaping, just like they would with drugs and alcohol. Wouldn’t it make a huge difference to how young people perceive vaping? Plus, conversations like these make the kid more aware of their health and they can make informed choices about their own.

Also, we need to support young people who are already struggling with nicotine addiction. There are resources out there to help them quit vaping, whether it’s counselling services or support groups. Now, it’s our job to make sure those resources are readily available and accessible to everyone.

So, what can we do about this global public health issue among young people in the UK? It’s going to take a collective effort – from parents, teachers, the community and policymakers as a whole. The laws that are now in place need to be strictly enforced. More control is required to make sure that these regulations are followed, and shops selling vape items to teenagers should be fined.

But the thing is, we must prioritise prevention over enforcement. We need stricter regulations, support education efforts, and provide resources for those who ask for help to quit. Education initiatives aimed at young people, both within and outside of schools, have the potential to significantly alter the perception of vaping among teenagers.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to looking out for our younger generation and making sure they have the knowledge and support they need to make healthy choices. Although vaping may seem like the “cool” thing to do at the moment, there are too many risks involved to ignore them.  Because when it comes to vaping, we just can’t afford to turn a blind eye, especially if it involves our future generation.

This article was written in collaboration with the University of Huddersfield and the Master of Public Health course. Click the link for further information: Master of Public Health (hud.ac.uk)

About the Author

Aadil Ahmed Khan is a Master of Public Health from the University of Huddersfield. He is a professional Dentist and worked as a Clinical Demonstrator in the Oral Surgery Department at a Hospital in Pakistan. Aadil is keen to continue working and researching in the Public Health field where he aims to improve the living standard and lifestyle of people facing Public Health problems.