The number of British children hospitalised due to vaping has quadrupled in a year, according to NHS data. In 2022, there were 32 instances of under-18s requiring medical treatment for e-cigarette-related ailments, up from just eight in 2021.
Experts have renewed calls for a crackdown on vaping, warning that the figure is likely to rise further. The prevalence of e-cigarettes, which can contain as much nicotine as 50 cigarettes, has doubled among children in less than a decade.
NHS Digital's survey of nearly 10,000 students aged 11 to 15 found that nine per cent currently vape, the highest rate since the survey began in 2014. Despite it being illegal to sell e-cigarettes to under-18s, one in ten secondary school pupils are regular users.
Separate studies have linked vaping to immediate spikes in blood pressure and heart rate, as well as reduced exercise performance and increased risk of heart disease. Researchers found that blood vessel damage from vaping is similar to that caused by smoking, likely due to airway irritation triggering biological signals.
