- About two per cent of 11 and 12-year-old girls in North Wales smoke
- They are more likely to if their parents do and if they are from deprived areas
- Girls who don’t take part in sport or other activities are more likely to smoke
Girls as young as 11 find e-cigarettes ‘highly appealing’ and the use of the devices among children is ‘widespread’, worrying new research has found.
The study authors say this is because children can easily get the devices from friends, parents and shops.
The report, for Public Health Wales, also found
girls with low aspirations who do not take part in sports or
after-school activities are the most likely to smoke e-cigarettes.
Electronic cigarettes are ‘highly appealing’ to young girls, new research suggests
Smoking among girls aged 11 and 12 in North Wales was examined and researchers found children are more likely to start smoking if their parents do.
They also found smoking rates among young girls are highest in deprived communities.Â
Andrew Jones, executive director of public health for Betsi Cadwaladr, the health board for North Wales, said: ‘Two per cent of 11 to 12 year old girls smoke, with prevalence rising to five per cent in some communities.
‘The study found that awareness and use of e-cigarettes was commonplace in some areas.
‘Most of the girls who took part in focus groups could name at least five different flavours of vapours which include strawberry milkshake, gummy bear and bubble gum.
‘Some were
not aware that e-cigarettes could have nicotine in them and most felt
that e-cigarettes were “not as bad†as cigarettes.’
The
study authors are now calling for a review of education programmes to
ensure children and young people get the correct information about
tobacco and e-cigarettes.
They also recommend introducing control
measures for the sale of e-cigarettes to children both online and on the
high street and ‘strengthening activities to raise aspirations and
build confidence in young girls’.
Two per cent of 11 and 12-year-old schoolgirls smoke – and they are more likely to if they parents do
The news comes just days after leading health experts said e-cigarettes should be subject to much more stringent controls to ensure they are safe.
More than 100 experts sent a letter to the World Health Organization outlining their concerns about what the unregulated products might contain.
They fear manufacturers of electronic nicotine devices are ‘making false and unproven claims, misleading the public into thinking these products are harmless (they are not) and effective cessation aids (which is unknown)’.
Another recent study, by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, suggested e-cigarettes could be responsible for a new generation becoming hooked on nicotine.
It showed teenagers who use the devices are more likely to smoke traditional cigarettes and are less likely to kick the habit.
As the popularity of e-cigarettes – promoted as a way to help people quit smoking – increases, scientists found ‘the wild west marketing of e-cigarettes is not only encouraging youth to smoke them, but also it is promoting regular cigarette smoking among youth.’
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