A Sky News investigation revealed “15 cases” in which children aged nine or under were admitted to hospital in the last 12 months. In 2022 there were 12 cases, and only two cases in 2021.

Professor Andy Bush, a paediatric chest physician at the Royal Brompton Hospital, said, "Young children are being exposed to substances of addiction, substances that are toxic and some of the toxicity is not known.

"It's a jungle… we just do not know what is in most of these things.

"If a teenager starts smoking cigarettes, probably the worst that's going to happen to them is they're going to be sick and throw up behind the bike shed.

"The acute use of e-cigarettes can put them in hospital, can put them in intensive care, things like lung bleeding, lung collapse and air leak, the lungs filling up with fat."

John Dunne, from the UK Vaping Industry Association, told Sky News, "the statistics would not exist if children were not getting their hands on vapes".

John added, “Every year, according to the NHS, some 76,000 people die from smoking, whereas there has not been one officially confirmed report of a death from vaping even though the category has been available in the UK for around the last 15 years.

"The fundamental issue that needs urgently addressing is the woeful level of enforcement of vaping age regulations across the UK.

"Whilst we see recent measures announced by the government as a step in the right direction to tackle youth vaping… much more needs to be done to support Trading Standards in their efforts to tackle rogue traders and cut off the source of supply of vapes to minors."

John wants £10,000 fines to be introduced for anyone found to be selling to children.

Author: