Vape warning to parents after school pupils rushed to hospital after using e-cigarettes

Pupils at two schools in a town in Hampshire have been rushed to hospital after using e-cigarettes.

In a letter issued to parents with children at The Mountbatten School and The Romsey School, both in Romsey, on 26 May, the schools confirmed a “small number” of students were sent to hospital after using vapes.

It added some students required hospital treatment after experiencing high heart rates, confusion and, in one extreme case, fitting.

“In the last two weeks there have been a small number of cases of students from both our communities requiring hospital treatment after using vapes”, the letter read.

“It is suspected that the contents of these vapes was not what it appeared to be and this is currently being investigated.

“Students who have been affected by this have presented with accelerated heart rates far exceeding normal levels and confusion, and in one case, fitting and loss of consciousness.”

The letter urged parents to “work together” with the schools to safeguard children.

“We continue to work together to balance providing sufficient freedoms to Romsey’s young people so they grow into responsible citizens, whilst also maintaining an appropriate level of parental control and safety”, the letter added.

Earlier this week, Rishi Sunak confirmed that a new government crackdown on vape marketing would help to prevent the “unacceptable” targeting of children and young people.

Ministers have pledged to close the loophole allowing retailers to give free vape samples to children in England, amid concerns over the number of children trying e-cigarettes.

The government also announced a review of the rules used to issue fines to shops illegally selling vapes to children, aiming to make it easier for trading standards officials to issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices.

In the past year, there has been a 50 per cent rise in the number of children trying vaping in the UK. Released in May 2023, the data demonstrated an increase from 7.7 per cent to 11.6 per cent in experimental vaping among 11 to 17-year-olds.

As part of the study, children were questioned if they had ever tried vaping once or twice. The proportion roughly doubled in nine years, increasing from 5.6 per cent in 2014 to 11.6 per cent in 2023.

Under current laws, it is illegal to sell vapes to under 18s. However, nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of youngsters reported that their first vape was given to them, and two-thirds by a friend. Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) stated that they usually buy their own vapes, typically from a corner shop (26 per cent).

The study further found Elf Bar to be the most popular brand of disposable vapes amongst children who do use them. This was closely followed by Lost Mary, Elux, Geek Bar and Crystal, offering flavours ranging from pink lemonade to mango.