Experts warn parents: Social media is teaching kids to hide their vapes
Illegal use of e-cigarettes among minors
Children are increasingly hiding their vapes thanks to tricks shared on TikTok, according to an alarming report from the UK Department of Health and Social Care published in April. Although e-cigarettes are illegal for under-18s in the UK, that doesn’t stop young people from getting their hands on them. E-cigarette use has tripled among children in the last three years.
Parents' concerns
Many parents are concerned, wondering if their own children are secretly vaping. Last year in the UK, 50 children were admitted to hospital with vaping-related illness, including 11 aged four or younger. Jonathan Grigg, professor of paediatric respiratory medicine at Queen Mary University of London, co-authored a paper in 2023 warning that children who vape are “more likely to start smoking tobacco”. He points out that the increase in hospitalisations is a predictable consequence of the government’s decision to allow free use of vaping, with flavours appealing to young people and the potentially erroneous assumption that vaping has little or no adverse health effects (the precautionary principle applies even more strongly when it comes to children and young adolescents, as it should).
Tips for hiding e-cigarettes
Young social media users are learning how to hide their vapes thanks to tips shared online. Online vaping retailer's investigation, Go Smoke Free, has revealed the most common places kids hide their e-cigarettes:
- Unused clothing, such as hoodie pockets, rolled-up sweaters, or between socks.
- Behind paintings, canvases and posters, sticking them inside the frame to use the empty space.
- In or around bedroom drawers, sticking them under the drawer.
- Under mattresses or bed frames.
- Inside the stuffed animals, using an existing hole or cutting one out.
- In eyeglass cases or jewelry boxes.
- In plants or fake books.
- Behind or on bedroom light fixtures, ceiling fans or wall mounted televisions.
- In hairbrushes having a hollow compartment.
Tips for Talking to Kids About Vaping
Despite the potential dangers of e-cigarettes for young children, it is recommended to approach the subject with caution. According to the Ministry of Health, one in five children has tried vaping. It is therefore understandable that parents would want to question their child if they suspect e-cigarette use. However, it is best to approach the subject with caution to avoid any confrontation.
Go Smoke Free experts advise approaching the discussion with sensitivity and kindness, communicating your concerns in a way that shows you have your child's best interests at heart.
For vaping, as with anything else, there is a time for everything. It would be a shame if our children took on adult habits too early due to a lack of vigilance and communication.
