Claim that children as young as eight vaping as 'alarming' research published

CHILDREN as young as eight are putting their health at risk by vaping, it has been claimed.

New research shows that the average age of young people starting to vape is between 13 and 15 with the youngest case being just eight.

According to research carried out in secondary schools by the Irish Tobacco Free Research Institute, vaping amongst teens has increased from 23 per cent in 2014 to 39 per cent in 2019.

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Here's what you should know about vaping (Getty Images)

A contributor with the youth information website SpunOut, Katelyn Benson, said the new findings are shocking and more needs to be done to warn youngsters about the dangers of vaping.

Speaking to Irish Sunday Mirror about the startling new figures, Ms Benson said: “I think the age bracket to any one is very alarming.

“Most of those people are unaware of what they are inhaling since there has not been much scientific research done on vaping.

“I also think that they feel that vaping isn’t as dangerous as your standard cigarettes.

The sweet flavoured, colourful sticks are appealing to children (Getty Images)

“I feel that teenagers deem them more as a ‘sweet tasting’ thing rather than the harmful effects of nicotine.

“I know people would shame you for smoking tobacco but it would be perfectly ok to try a vape. The case of the eight year old was actually so scary.”

Director General of the Irish Tobacco Free Research Institute, Luke Clancy, told RTE the main reasons the teenagers gave were curiosity and because their peers smoke.

He said: “The time of teenage smoking has reversed in Ireland and we think that the influence of e-cigarettes in that is likely to be great. Developing brains – immature brains – are affected adversely by nicotine, no matter what the strength is.

" Nicotine acts directly on the brain and with immature brains has a deleterious effect.”

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