Police are investigating claims from parents that someone has been selling vapes to children near a Cardiff school.
Officers have said they are also carrying out patrols in the area around Eastern High School in Rumney. WalesOnline has spoken to two mums who claimed their 13-year-old daughters had been targeted for sales. One described the incident as "upsetting, disgusting and absolutely vile".
The legal age to buy vapes, also known as electronic cigarettes, is 18 in the UK. The products allows people to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke. One independent review concluded vaping was about 95% less harmful than smoking, while another study found the vapour could lead to changes in lungs' immune cells.
Read next: Two men once banned for football-related violence stand for election as councillors
One mum of an Eastern High pupil has shown WalesOnline an exchange of messages from January which appear to be between her 13-year-old daughter and a vape seller. The child appeared to text: "Are you still active?" The reply came: "Ye, I'm active." The child later appeared to text: "Hiya, you know the vape you give me yesterday, I opened it and it was leaking and it's dodgy. It works one puff then smoke comes out when I ain't puffing it..." You can get more Cardiff news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
This was followed by the response: "I don't make them.. I just buy them and re-sell them. I promise you your [sic] the only person who's had an issue with the solo Z but I guess like anything in life some things are faulty, can only apologise for it, il [sic] sort you out one cheap next time you need one..."
In another message, the child appeared to ask if the person could "come outside Eastern at 3 pls". The reply came: "Yeah for sure."
The mum told WalesOnline she found out about the conversation when she checked her daughter's phone. She claimed: "I knew there was a problem with the vapes prior to this because I'd found a few she'd left around, but I didn't know who was enabling her to purchase them."
She claimed her daughter had admitted buying four or five vapes from the person in recent months. The pupil told her the seller had frequently waited near the school at closing time to sell vapes to children in uniform, the mum added.
"My stomach dropped when I found out," she said. "If it's vapes now, what's it going to be next? We know kids push boundaries and push their luck."
The mum said she was "extremely upset" to learn the person had allegedly been exchanging messages with her child without parental consent. After she posted on social media about her concerns, her daughter was approached by several schoolmates, the mum added. They reportedly asked: "Where are we gonna get our vapes from now?"
Another mum of a 13-year-old girl at Eastern High claimed her child was sold a vape in early April. The parent claimed that when she found out, her daughter admitted she had been buying vapes from the person "for a while".
"She says she's been saving her money up for after school and buying a load of vapes off them. She told me she's been selling them in school and smoking them as well. She's been making money and buying more off them. It is upsetting, disgusting and absolutely vile," she claimed.
A South Wales Police spokeswoman said: "The matter has been reported to South Wales Police, enquiries are ongoing and officers will be patrolling the area." While a spokesperson for Eastern High said: “The school is taking this matter very seriously and we are working with South Wales Police and Trading Standards to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products to our young people. Staff make patrols of the area and ongoing education is provided to pupils around the dangers of smoking and vaping.”
The matter is also being investigated by Shared Regulatory Services, a safeguarding team from Bridgend, Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Councils. Its spokesperson said: “The Shared Regulatory Services has been made aware of claims relating to the underage sales of tobacco products to school children outside the gates of Eastern High School. We are looking into these claims, and it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Eastern High is a mixed state school with around 1,095 pupils, aged between 11 and 16. WalesOnline has approached the alleged vape seller for comment. You can read more breaking news here.
