Police warn schools, parents, and kids about vapes

In a letter to schools, teachers, parents and pupils in South West London, The Metropolitan Police have warned that children have recently been hospitalized after losing consciousness as a result of vaping. The warning specifically flags ‘Cali Pen’ or ‘Cali Bar’ brands but also indicates that the issue is unlikely to be restricted to just these brands.

Alarmingly, the letter goes on to say:

“As you may be aware, vapes have not been tested medically to determine either short-term or long-term effects on the health of users. There are many products that are unregulated coming into the UK and being sold illegally to children.

In other parts of London, some of these vapes have been found to contain dangerous and addictive drugs such as ‘spice’ and high levels of THC, the psychoactive chemical found in cannabis.

The effects of inhaling vapes are unpredictable and it can be very easy to accidentally take a large dose of an unknown chemical.

Selling any vape to a person under the age of 18 is illegal, although by their bright colours and names sounding like something you would purchase in a sweet shop, it is clear that these products are marketed at children. Sadly, the use of vapes by children is now becoming endemic and the majority of even regulated vapes contain high levels of nicotine ensuring that their users will become dependent upon them.”

Allen Carr’s Easyway have been warning about the impact of vaping on youngsters for many years, highlighting that children were always likely to be the targets of an unscrupulous nicotine industry which has a vested interest in ensuring its new customers are drawn from all sections of the community rather than simply from smokers who want to quit.

Lack of regulation over the past ten years has left a generation of youngsters (and adults who have never smoked) exposed to the risks posed by addiction to nicotine.

The letter goes on

“Please educate your children on the dangers of using vapes and the unknown short-term and long-term effects on their health.”

It seems incredible that the Police feel that they need to send such a letter. However, in the absence of clear leadership by Government and the Department of Health it appears that they had little choice. Instead, Big Nicotine, are able and even encouraged to reuse all the techniques that they employed for so many years to attract people to cigarettes, and now use them to do the same for vapes. Allowing marketers to continue to use colourful packaging often featuring cartoon characters and sweetshop flavours clearly aimed at children is a clear dereliction of duty and is leading to an epidemic of vaping amongst young people and another generation addicted to nicotine.

Allen Carr’s Easyway have been highlighting this issue for many years and are developing a new programme to help young teens to quit vaping as well as material to help parents understand the dangers,spot the signs of vaping, and to help their children with this dangerous addiction.