Dozens of kids hospitalised from vaping as NHS warns of Xmas flavours like mince pie
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Health chiefs have criticised firms for selling festive-flavoured vapes to children as they revealed 170 kids have been hospitalised from vaping. More than one child every week is now being admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries, with the rate increasing five-fold in five years.
![[More than one child every week is now being admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries (file image)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/00/93333811-14211497-More_than_one_child_every_week_is_now_being_admitted_to_hospital-a-19_1734653075691.jpg)
Health bosses said flavours such as mince pie, candy cane, Christmas pudding and gingerbread are ‘likely to be appealing to younger age groups’ but there is ‘nothing joyful or fun’ about the serious effect vaping can have on their health. It is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s but NHS England found online stores are ‘pumping out Christmas deals and festive flavours’ that can be purchased with ‘little to no checks’.
![[New analysis by NHS England reveals 31 children were admitted to hospital with vaping-related injuries between March and October this year (file image)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/00/89635231-14211497-New_analysis_by_NHS_England_reveals_31_children_were_admitted_to-a-20_1734653075692.jpg)
It called on stores to tighten up their controls in a bid to stem the tide of children getting hooked on nicotine and falling ill. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said: ‘More than 30 children and young people being admitted to hospital oven seven months for conditions linked to vaping, such as breathlessness and potential lung damage, is simply alarming.
![[As of February, a total of 1,009 reactions to vapes have been recorded by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. Here are the 10 most common reports]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/00/83201007-14211497-As_of_February_a_total_of_1_009_reactions_to_vapes_have_been_rec-a-21_1734653075693.jpg)
‘With vape companies pumping out Christmas deals and festive flavours, like Christmas pudding, candy cane, mince pies or gingerbread, they are likely to be appealing to younger age groups, and despite websites often stating vapes are for over 18s, it is possible to purchase them with little to no checks.
‘While vapes can be a useful tool to help adults quit smoking, they should not be used by children and under 18s - there’s nothing joyful or fun about the serious effect they can have on young people’s health as well as the potential long-term consequences.
