Kettering Hospital Ward Confronts Teen Vaping: Youngsters as Young as 13 Admit Use

Staff on a paediatric ward are highlighting the dangers of e-cigarettes after patients as young as 13 "openly admitted to vaping". Kettering General Hospital said the popularity of the habit is rising, even though it is illegal to sell nicotine vaping products to anyone under 18. Staff at the hospital's Skylark Ward hope to raise awareness of its risks through a poster competition. Amie Gillespie, assistant directorate manager for paediatrics & neonates, said she hoped it would "help discourage young people from experimenting with it". Council member Louise McKerral said: "We hope this competition and the publicity surrounding it will help to improve awareness of the issues around vaping and encourage young people not to vape, or be tempted into smoking, which we know is much more harmful in the long-term. "On our ward we have had patients as young as 13 who have openly admitted to vaping and we know it can have negative effects." Research by the NHS has shown a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping and nearly one in 10 (9%) use e-cigarettes frequently. The hospital pointed out vapes include nicotine and could include headaches, dizziness, racing heart and stomach cramps. Meanwhile, the side effects of vaping could include coughing, dry mouth and throat and shortness of breath, while its long term effects and risks are unknown, it said. Entrants - who can be up to the age of 18 - are asked to send their posters to the Skylark Ward by 31 January.