Doctors could be forced to ask all patients if they have ever vaped and add it to their medical records so they can be monitored for harm.
The move forms part of a major review by the British Medical Association into the dangers, marketing and illegal sales of e-cigarettes.
Delegates at the union’s annual conference in Liverpool today backed a motion describing vaping and its effects as a ‘growing public health epidemic’.
Medics warned the number of children vaping in England is now ‘staggering’ and presents a real risk to the nation’s health.
They committed the BMA’s board of science to review vaping and e-nicotine products, with a focus on the ‘dangers’ to children and adults.
The move forms part of a major review by the British Medical Association into the dangers, marketing and illegal sales of e-cigarettes
They will also consider whether all marketing of the products should be banned
It will explore ways to stop the illegal sale of vapes to people under the age of 18 and consider whether all marketing of the products should be banned.
Members want their expert panel to consider the impact of adopting plain packaging for vapes, ‘in the same vein as tobacco products’ and a ban on ‘all’ flavouring.
They will also discuss ‘including history of e-nicotine use as a regular/essential part of patient history and examination’.
Dr Naabil Khan told delegates: ‘We have a role and a duty to protect our populations.
‘This can only be achieved through strong and sustainable additions to policy which ensure we address the growing epidemic.’
Dr Ryan Devlin, from the BMA’s Lothian division, said vaping is ‘dangerous’ and can cause ‘serious lung injury’, adding: ‘Vaping can help you quit smoking, but those who have never smoked should not try it.
‘We know that it’s dangerous, dangers that are exacerbated in young people. Yet the number who have never smoked trying vapes is increasing.’
He said the number of young people using vapes is ‘staggering’ as they ‘should not have access to them’.
Shock data last month revealed a record 11.6 per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain have now tried vaping. This is up on 7.7 per cent last year and twice as high as rates seen a decade ago ¿ before the UK’s kid vaping epidemic blew up
‘Vapes are being sold illegally to this vulnerable group. But why are they even being sought out by under 18s in the first place?
‘It’s not just the visibility, it’s the way they’re marketed – watermelon, bubblegum, candy floss, ice cream.’
Last month, NHS figures revealed 40 children and young people were admitted to hospital in England last year for ‘vaping related disorders’, up from 11 two years earlier.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health also warned that e-cigarettes ‘are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so, than traditional cigarettes’.
Dr Devlin called on the organisation ‘to make the dangers of vapes clear’.
He added: ‘Please end this burgeoning health crisis now before it gets any worse.’
NHS Digital data, based on the smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England survey for the year 2021, showed 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used a vape
Prime Candy on Oxford Street, where MailOnline found huge vape displays alongside many different types of American sweets
Dr Penelope Toff, chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said: ‘The area of most concern is that, with their bright colours and packaging, stylised designs, sweetshop-inspired flavours and relatively inexpensive price, these products are clearly being made to appeal to children and young people.’
She said the ‘conclusive vote’ from BMA members on the motion ‘shows that doctors, whose primary aim is to keep the population well and prevent harm, are rightly angry that products that are a danger to health, are being promoted to children across the UK’.
She said: ‘Stronger regulation is needed, in line with that for tobacco products, tailored for e-nicotine products, including plain packaging and appropriate health warnings.
‘Action must be taken to stop these products being accessed by children.
‘There is a need for further independent research into their long-term impact on both adults and children but meanwhile, urgent steps must be taken to protect people from known harms.’
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