Barrow Voice asked local teenager, Diya Datta, to consider the question.

"Are you a kid? Do you just wish that you could be part of the popular group at school? Or cool like all of your friends? Well don't worry, I have the perfect solution for you! Try a vape and you will fit right in, you aren't a chicken, are you? All the influencers and young celebrities do it, don't they? It's just one time, you'll be fine."

Or so they say...

What actually are vapes? Until 10 years ago smoking was the big evil, the thing that kids were told not to do time and time again. However, in 2005 vapes were introduced to the UK and have become increasingly popular ever since. They are essentially electrical devices that heat up liquid inside (usually containing nicotine) to a vapour and this is what is inhaled. Their original purpose was to replace the traditional cigarettes with a healthier alternative to help people with tobacco addictions. Unfortunately, e-cigarettes have been used for the wrong purposes by children and teens creating a huge issue for the health of our youngsters; I’ll get onto this shortly.

Sooooo… we know they are healthier so what is the big problem with these e-cigarettes and why are they such a big deal amongst our youth?

Firstly, you may have seen vapes advertised with signs saying things like "No Nicotine" or "No Tar". While the "No Tar" may be true you can never be certain what is in the liquid that is in the vape. This is because the production of vape liquid is not monitored, leading to false information on the packaging of some e-cigarettes. This is a core problem in our system, as not only are mysterious harmful toxins inhaled but young people are vaping, drawn to these products due to their appealing array of tastes and flavours, unaware of the fact that they could become addicted to nicotine.

Other reasons include factors like, that while e-cigarettes used to be mainly sold by specialist vape stores, supermarkets and convenience stores, disposable vapes are now often sold in a number of locations which really have no business selling these types of products. This is normalising vaping and some retailers do not have the knowledge to appropriately advise customers on vaping, they are also less likely to be as strict with age verifi cation. As well as this a lot of youth e-cigarette users move from vaping to smoking traditional cigarettes, which is a momentous concern.

Another big issue is the buzz on social media and the internet has been a very effective marketing tool. Despite online advertising bans, the second most common source of exposure was social media, with YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok being the worst offenders. The recent rise in singleuse vapes has unfortunately played a part in the uptake in youth vaping as they are easy to buy and dispose of. Careless disposal of these vapes also causes issues for the environment.

Lastly, 13% of youth vapers have smoked cigarettes in the past. This suggests that at least some young people may actually be using e-cigarettes for their intended use as a stop smoking tool.

To supply e-cigarettes in Great Britain, it is necessary to notify the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) but the UK laws on this issue are some of the most relaxed laws on vaping in the world. Retailers who knowingly sell vaping products to minors can also be held legally accountable. Penalties for retailers may include fi nes of up to £2,500, licence suspension, or even criminal charges. Childline cites that the police can confiscate a vape from an individual if they are under the age of 16. Underage vapers can also get sent to education and awareness programs where students will gather, analyse, and select relevant evidence from multiple sources to understand the harmful health effects of vaping.