Doctors have warned that vaporizers could cause fatal allergic reactions in children, adding to the long list of health harms associated with these devices.
Although it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes to those under 18 years of age, One in four children has tried vaping and one in 10 now uses it regularly, according to the latest statistics.
There are now concerns that flavored vapes, which may contain traces of allergens such as nuts, dairy or gluten, are putting children in the hospital.
Earlier this year, NHS data recorded a 733 per cent increase in the number of teenagers or younger Brits hospitalized after vaping since 2020, with some patients as young as four years old.
Experts warn that the risk of an allergic reaction to vapes is particularly high in flavors designed to imitate certain foods or candy, which are known to be popular with children.
An allergy charity is now calling on vape manufacturers to start including allergy warnings on their products.
As the devices are not classified as “food or drink”, there is currently no legal requirement for them to do so.
Experts have warned that vaporizers could cause life-threatening allergic reactions in children. Archive image. stock image
Some allergic reactions to vapes also occur without a known food trigger, but are instead caused by a substance called propylene glycol, a colorless liquid used to sweeten the vapor of many electronic cigarettes.
Many people may be allergic to propylene glycol but are unlikely to come into contact with it.
Sufferers experience wheezing, asthma attacks, and hives when they ingest the liquid or inhale it from vapor exhaled by another user.
A famous example of a vaping allergy is Ewan Fisher.
The then-16-year-old nearly died in 2017 from a vaping reaction that left him vomiting neon green liquid and gasping for breath as his organs failed.
Fisher, from Nottingham, suffered from hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a type of allergic reaction in which the alveoli and airways of the lungs become severely inflamed.
Doctors, who document cases of allergic reactions related to vaping, have warned that “we consider e-cigarettes to be ‘much safer than tobacco’ at our own risk.”
The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, set up in memory of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died after an allergic reaction to a loaf of Pret bread, is raising awareness about the dangers of a serious reaction to vapes.
A famous example of a vaping allergy is that of Ewan Fisher, who at the age of 16 almost died due to an extreme reaction in which the alveoli and airways of his lungs became severely inflamed.
Natasha’s father and founder of the foundation, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse, says reports of allergic reactions caused by secondhand vaping smoke are “extremely worrying.”
“Many teens and their parents will be unaware of this potential risk of vapes,” he said. The times.
“The evidence linking vaping smoke and allergic reactions is still emerging, and labeling law needs to keep up to date so that when eliquid may contain nuts or one of 14 allergens, this is indicated on the packaging.”
Becky Gittins, Labor MP for Clwyd East and parliamentary ambassador for the foundation, said flavored vapes should have allergy information clearly visible on their labels.
“We hear people talk about vapers, young people and asthma, but you don’t necessarily hear them talk about the possibility of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis and vaping, and that’s something I want to explore.”
Last month, the Labor Party introduced a bill with several measures to combat vaping and prevent children from using the devices.
Introduced as part of the tobacco and e-cigarette bill, these included a restriction on e-cigarette flavors popular with children, such as those resembling candy, and an overhaul of packaging to reduce their appeal to young people.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, warned at the time that the number of children vaping is “growing at an alarming rate”.
Data from NHS Digital, based on the survey of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among young people in England for 2021, showed that 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used a vape.
He added that it was “unacceptable” that the vapes were deliberately targeting children with flavors such as “gummy bear and rainbow burst”.
Most experts agree that vaping is safer than smoking and adult smokers should be encouraged to make the switch.
However, there is growing concern about people who have never smoked taking up the habit of vaping, especially children.
Although there is broad consensus that it is safer than smoking, vaping is not without risks. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins and their long-term effects remain a mystery.
Doctors have expressed fears that there could be a wave of lung disease, dental problems and even cancer in the coming decades in people who adopted the habit at a young age.