E-cigarettes: Young addict fear as 17-year-old can't stop vaping

A 17-year-old girl has said she is addicted to vaping and "can't stop buying them".

Selling e-cigarettes to under-18s is illegal in Wales but the girl, who wanted to remain anonymous, said "most shops don't ask me for ID".

Charities and trading standards bodies are worried about young people getting addicted and want better enforcement of the rules.

The Welsh government said it was "monitoring" what more could be done.

E-cigarettes are seen as a healthier alternative for people who are trying to quit smoking.

But there are concerns people can become addicted because they contain high levels of nicotine.

One disposable vape is the equivalent of 45 cigarettes, or 20 milligrams of nicotine, the highest legal amount in the UK.

The 17-year-old girl said she uses them "nearly every day if I have one... maybe three or four a week".

"I would say I'm addicted to them because I can't stop buying them," she added.

"I feel quite lightheaded while I smoke them but it goes after a while," the 17-year-old said. "I buy them from corner shops, most shops don't ask me for ID."

The way disposable vapes are marketed towards young people is a problem, according to Suzanne Cass, chief executive of tobacco control action group Ash Cymru.

"This comes down to the marketing of the product and it comes down to enforcement," she said. "So we need more support around enforcement activity around underage sales and we need to take a tighter grip on the marketing of these products to young people."

Ms Cass said vapes were supposed to be "a smoking cessation tool", so "to see them marketed towards young people is a disappointment to us."

The problem has also reached schools in Wales, according to a deputy head teacher in Swansea.

Mark Bridgens of Ysgol Gymraeg Bryn Tawe, is worried about what he believes is an increase in young people using disposable vapes.

''In the old days you could smell cigarettes or tobacco," he said. "If you light a cigarette it takes a certain amount of time to disappear.

"With these [vapes] you can have one quick puff, you can keep it in your pocket, you can keep it on you all day and you can't smell it.''

Sixth-form students at the school said vapes were difficult to avoid.

Mirain, 17, said: "You don't question it anymore. If you see someone vaping it's just an extension of their hand.

"It is a fad, but people need to understand that people are getting addicted to them," she added. "They're in people's pockets, they're small, they're in people's pencil cases.''

''I don't think people realise how much they use them," said Dylan, 17.

"They can just be thrown away easily and you can buy another one really cheap," he added.

"I've seen people as young as 10, maybe 11 years old use vapes," said Angharad, 17. "It's really easy for people to get them."

A Welsh government spokesperson said: "The sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s has been banned in Wales since 2015 and it is also an offence for anyone to buy e-cigarettes on behalf of a person under 18.

"We continue to monitor trends on the use of e-cigarettes in Wales as well as what more can be done to prevent their use by young people and non-smokers," they added.