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Paediatricians have warned vaping is “fast becoming an epidemic among children” and are calling for disposable vapes to be banned. Many parents may be concerned about their own child’s health if they’re vaping. In May, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH ) warned there had been a 50% rise in the proportion of children vaping – from 7.7% of 11 to 17-year-olds trying e-cigarettes last year to 11.6% this year. And because vapes haven’t been around long (they’ve only been on sale in the UK since 2007) there haven’t been any long-term studies on the effect on health, and particularly on young lungs, hearts and brains. However, responding to a current Government consultation on e-cigarettes, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has warned e-cigarettes “are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so than traditional cigarettes”. The RCPCH’s vice president for policy and paediatric respiratory consultant, Dr Mike McKean, says: “Without a doubt, disposable e-cigarettes should be banned. Youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children, and I fear that if action is not taken, we will find ourselves sleepwalking into a crisis.” But it’s a crisis many parents are ill-informed about – so here’s what the experts think parents should know… What are vapes?Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive at ASH, describes vapes – also known as electronic cigarettes – as “a battery-powered heating element which heats a liquid – generally containing nicotine and other ingredients – that’s then inhaled as a vapour by users”. Some vapes are single -use and come in bright packaging, with exotic flavours and enticing, sweetie-type names like strawberry ice cream, cotton candy and cherry cola, others are rechargeable. Can children buy vapes? It’s illegal to sell vapes to under 18s in the UK. However, youngsters are clearly still getting their hands on them. McKean, who practises in the north-east of England, says he’s concerned to hear there’s been an increase in unregulated e-cigarettes hitting the UK market recently. He points out that in the north-east alone, more than 1.4 tonnes of illegal e-cigarettes – which Trading Standards said were often indistinguishable from regulated products – were seized from shops in the second half of last year. “It’s impossible to know what these products contain or how they might impact young people’s health,” he says. “The thought that these products are ending up in the hands of children is terrifying.” What do they contain? The crucial thing for parents to know is that they contain nicotine, which is harmful and addictive. Gurch Randhawa, professor of diversity in public health and director of the Institute for Health Research at the University of Bedfordshire, says: “E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, the most harmful aspects of smoking cigarettes. E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, and flavourings.” Are they addictive? Yes. McKean warns: “Vaping is far from risk-free, and in many cases can be very addictive.” Cheeseman adds: “It appears likely that people who have not smoked can become addicted to nicotine through vaping”. What are the health impacts long-term? Randhawa says that because vapes are a relatively new product, evidence on their health impacts isn’t clear. Experts are concerned though – especially because people under the age of 18 are still developing. Nicotine is known to cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, flow of blood to the heart and a narrowing of the arteries.Cheeseman says: “We don’t know what the health implications will be long-term. It seems likely there will be some, but until we have a population of people who have exclusively vaped without smoking for many decades it will be difficult to fully assess the impact.” Decades ago, no one knew about the devastating health impacts of smoking either. How can parents help children quit? Ensure your child has all the correct information and risks associated with vaping. Rather than setting strict punishments, try to be understanding and have a gentle discussion about peer pressure and having the confidence to say no. Cheeseman says nicotine replacement therapy can be used for children as young as 12. Randhawa points out that e-cigarettes should only be used to help people stop smoking. “If you haven’t smoked, you should not use e-cigarettes, as they contain nicotine, which is addictive. This message needs to be understood and articulated across society and schools to support children to not take up vaping.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leah Williamson’s first fiction book inspired by women’s football ban protest Love Island 2023: Is having a ‘type’ holding back your dating life? 8 home repair jobs to tackle quickly – before they cost you a fortune

What can the Dallas Mavericks actually use to acquire LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers?Kyrie Irving, who famously demanded a trade away from LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has since seen the error of his ways. Now the controversial free agent is looking to reunite with his fo...

The PGA Tour and Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf are combining in a shock merger, ending a seismic dispute

Inditex SA, which owns the Zara clothing chain, is considering setting up a vehicle to invest in startups

Tottenham Hotspur want to sign a new centre-back this summer. Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and Manchester City squad player Aymeric Laporte are on their shortlist.

Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has approved of the club's summer transfer plans to sign a creative midfielder, goalkeeper and defender, while his former club Celtic fear he could return to sign some of their key players.

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook could find a new home fast with the Miami Dolphins should the perennial Pro Bowler be released.If the Minnesota Vikings were to move on from Dalvin Cook, don't be shocked if his hometown Miami Dolphins quickly sign him in his NFL free agency.Wh...

The sheriff of Bexar County, Texas is recommending criminal charges against those involved with flights that sent 49 mostly Venezuelan migrants from El Paso to Martha’s Vineyard last year, what was widely derided as a political stunt orchestrated by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A statement from the sheriff’s office says it has completed an investigation launched last September and recommended several counts of unlawful restraint, both misdemeanors and felonies, to the office of the Bexar County district attorney. “At this time, the case is being reviewed by the DA’s office. Once an update is available, it will be provided to the public,” the statement said. The sheriff’s office has not named suspects. The flights faced international scrutiny following allegations that migrants and their families, who were in the country with legal permission, were deceptively lured into planes out of state after they were processed in the US after crossing the southern border with Mexico, with their asylum cases pending in Texas. “What infuriates me the most about this case is that here we have 48 people who are already on hard times, they are here legally in the country at that point,” sheriff Javier Salazar said in a statement announcing the investigation last year. “They have every right to be where they are, and I believe they were preyed upon – somebody came from out of state, preyed upon these people, lured them with promises of a better life, which is what they were absolutely looking for, with the knowledge that they were going to cling to whatever hope they could be offered ... to just be exploited and hoodwinked into making this trip,” he said. A federal lawsuit filed by attorneys for a group of migrants last year alleges that the DeSantis administration supervised a “fraudulent and discriminatory scheme” to collect migrants and fly them, unannounced, hundreds of miles out of state. The lawsuit alleges the governor and members of his administration targeted immigrants who were recently released from shelters with false promises of job opportunities, education and financial assistance before they landed on the island with only volunteer support from local groups and emergency assistance from state agencies. The lawsuit includes two unnamed defendants who “targeted” many of the people who boarded the flights, as well as three other unnamed defendants who participated in the alleged scheme, who “manipulated them, stripped them of their dignity, deprived them of their liberty, bodily autonomy, due process and equal protection under the law,” according to the complaint. Those allegations mirror claims from migrants who spoke with reporters about the ordeal, including multiple allegations that a woman identified only as “Perla” was central to an alleged effort to coerce migrants to board the planes, providing cash and McDonald’s gift cards to help recruit others. Mr DeSantis has taken credit for the flight, and his administration has supported legislative efforts to secure $12m in funding for similar operations. The administration has spent more than $1.5m on such flights, according to state records. The sheriff’s announcement follows more migrant flights from Texas to California, which California Attorney General Rob Bonta has likened to “state-sanctioned kidnapping.” Officials and civil rights attorneys are investigating whether the DeSantis administration was also behind those flights; Mr Bonta has stated that the migrants had what appeared to be Florida government documents. “We are also evaluating potential criminal or civil action against those who transported or arranged for the transport of these vulnerable immigrants,” he said in a statement this week. “While we continue to collect evidence, I want to say this very clearly: State-sanctioned kidnapping is not a public policy choice, it is immoral and disgusting.” The Independent has requested comment from the DeSantis administration. Read More DeSantis news – latest: Casey DeSantis nicknamed ‘Walmart Melania’ over anti-woke leather jacket California officials probe ‘state-sanctioned kidnapping’ of migrants flown in on private jet False promises, a legal investigation and a mystery woman: Unanswered questions about Ron DeSantis's migrant flights

After an underwhelming season, the Denver Broncos will look to flip the script in 2023. Here are three players who have to take the next step.The Denver Broncos seemed primed to be title contenders last season. They boasted one of the best defenses in the NFL. They had a wealth of offensive weap...

By Viktoriia Lakezina KHERSON, Ukraine Hundreds of people were evacuated from settlements along the southern stretch of Ukraine's

Yesterday saw one long day of golf as U.S. Open qualifiers took place all over the country. The honor of playing in a major is plainly obvious, but now there's also the opportunity to build upon the Cinderella story started by Michael Block when he effectively stole the PGA Championship spotlight. Twenty-seven-year-old Austen Truslow, competing at Pine Tree Golf Club in Boynton Beach, Fla, inched closer to that dream by toasting his challengers to earn a spot in Los Angeles next weekend.

Nottingham Forest & Manchester United are in talks over a permanent transfer for goalkeeper Dean Henderson.