Omagh meeting on youth vaping

School principals and youth leaders are being invited to a meeting to discuss the issue of underage vaping in the Omagh district.

The matter was discussed at council recently after Cllr Barry McElduff put forward a motion urging Fermanagh & Omagh District Council (FODC) to help address concerns over vaping.

Alison McCullagh, chief executive, told councillors that the Department for Health and the Education Authority have agreed to attend a meeting to discuss the issue.

She added, “The Education Authority welcomes the motion and advises that the council may want to invite some (school) principals and youth group leaders to the proposed meeting.

“The Department of Health also welcomed the motioned and indicated that they will be in attendance of the meeting.”

Cllr Barry McElduff was pleased with the responses and said, “We are now heading towards a round table conference style meeting which might be hybrid in format to facilitate maximum participation.”

It was also suggested that DAERA (Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) should be invited to the meeting due to the environmental impact the improper disposal of e-cigarettes have, particularly with the plastic and lithium batteries within them.

“Our emphasis is on children and young people to help them not to become involved in vaping early in their lives,” insisted Cllr McElduff

“We have good, sensible suggestions and positive engagement from those bodies. I think this is shaping up to be a very important movement with a wider significance of the region and beyond on the damaging effects on our children and young people,” he concluded.