'Electronic cigarette' alarm in England: 'It has reached record levels in children...'

Last year in the UK, a total of 50 children, including 11 under the age of four, were admitted to hospital with vaping-related illnesses.

Last year, 50 children in the UK were reportedly hospitalized for vaping-related illnesses, including 11 children aged four and under.

According to figures from the UK's National Health Service (NHS), there were no pre-school children among the only 6 under-19 vapers treated in 2020.

While the number of children under 19 treated in 2020 was 6 percent, this figure increased to 14 percent in 2023.

Pediatric respiratory medicine professor Jonathan Grigg said that "kid-friendly" flavors partly explain the rise in youth vaping, warning that children who do so are more likely to start smoking.


Sarah MacFadyen, head of policy and public affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, said the figures were "extremely worrying":

"At Asthma + Lung UK we emphasize our stance: "Selling vaping to under 18s is already illegal and we strongly discourage non-smokers, especially children, from starting vaping. It is vital that the government takes action to prevent the vaping industry from marketing their products to children. Enforcement of age of sale laws is also an issue and better resourcing is needed to prevent young people from accessing vaping."