Thursday 7 July 2022 12:15 AM Number of children who regularly vape DOUBLES in two years, warns report trends now

The number of children who regularly use e-cigarettes has nearly doubled in two years, a Government-funded report warns.

Experts have blamed the rise on social media sites like TikTok, where videos showing off vape smoke tricks have racked up tens of millions of views.

The report, which surveyed 2,000 British children, found one in 14 over-11s (7 per cent) now use e-cigarettes routinely, compared to four per cent in 2020.

And the share who have tried the devices has jumped to 16 per cent over the same period. Almost half of users had watched vape videos on TikTok, Instagram or Snapchat. 

Some 52 per cent of youngsters who vaped said disposable e-cigarettes were their favoured product – a dramatic rise on the 7 per cent who said the same thing in 2020. 

Experts warned that vape devices are attractive to children because they are often brightly coloured, cheap and contain fruity flavours.

The devices can cost as little as £5 and can be purchased online without age approval. 

Over the last year, a new generation of disposable vapes known as ‘puff bars’ – which contain nicotine – have come on to the market.

Besides nicotine, the devices also contain harmful particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and chemical flavourings that have been linked to lung disease. 

Some 2,613 11 to 17-year-olds across Britain responded to the YouGov survey in March.

It was carried out for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and part-funded by the Department of Health.

Results showed that among only 11 to 15-year-olds, 10 per cent had tried vaping in 2022, up from three per cent in 2013 and eight per cent in 2022.

In the 16 to 17-year-old cohort, the rate more than quadrupled in a decade  — from seven per cent to 29 per cent.

For those aged 18, the rise was even larger - from nine per cent to 41 per cent.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), has called for more funding to enforce laws against underage sales and action on child-friendly packaging and labelling, as well as promotion on social media. 

She said it was 'no wonder' the devices are becoming increasingly attractive to children 

Overall, four per cent of 11 to 15-year-olds are currently vaping, while the figure is 14 per cent for 16 and 17-year-olds, the report found.

Most of the current vapers said they did so for pleasure.

Around one in 10 said they were using e-cigarettes to try to quit tobacco. 

The report found smoking regular tobacco was on the decline among children — dropping from 16 per cent in 2020 to 14 per cent in 2022.

More than half of youngsters who vaped said disposable e-cigarettes were their favoured product — seven-times more than 2020, when just seven per cent said their was their preferred mode of vaping.