Councillors move to address vaping ‘crisis’

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council has unanimously backed a Sinn Fein motion around children and young people vaping.

Proposed by Barry McElduff, it called for the council to convene an urgent round table meeting with the Public Health Agency, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, the Education Authority and other relevant bodies and stakeholders to address the growing health crisis.

It further noted that many vaping products are designed to be attractive to children and are all addictive, damaging to health and may contain harmful substances.

The motion reaffirmed the council’s ban on vaping at sites and premises under its control and sought to strengthen current legislation regarding the sale of vaping products and associated enforcement regulations.

It also noted that disposable vapes are increasingly being discarded in public, thereby presenting a further threat to the environment.

Cllr McElduff said, “We are all aware to varying degrees that vaping is bad for health.

“Very little research has been done in the [age] 11-17 category, but I’ve read how one in five 15-year-olds vaped in 2021, and the current figure is expected to be much higher.

“The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health said disposable vapes should be banned because of their popularity with children, particularly thanks to their bright colours, sweet flavours and low prices.

“One vape can be the equivalent of 28 cigarettes, and that would be smoked in one day by a young teenager.”

Seconding, party colleague Cllr Stephen McCann said, “This is going to be an emerging crisis in our young people.

“It’s a new thing, and time hasn’t had a chance to show what the side effects of vaping long-term will be. It’s deeply worrying.”

Cllr Bernard McGrath, of the SDLP, said, “It’s very clear the bright and colourful packaging is attractive to young people… Some illegal products can contain high volumes of lead, nickel and chromium, which can affect the central nervous system and brain development.

“Government has been behind the curve, and action is needed to address health issues and protect our young people from potential harm.”