According to reports, there has been a significant increase in the number of high school students in Scotland using e-cigarettes. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is calling for restrictions on advertising and promotion of these products, as there are concerns that young people who use e-cigarettes are at a higher risk of using tobacco products. A survey by STV shows that there has been an increase in the number of students using these products over the past four years.
The greatest change occurred at Fife schools, which confiscated 121 e-cigarettes during the 2021/22 academic year, compared to zero in 2018/19. Schools in South Ayrshire also saw an increase, confiscating 121 e-cigarettes in 2021/22 and only two in 2018/19. Dundee City Council reported no confiscations of e-cigarettes in 2018/19, but confiscated 83 in 2021/22. In its investigation, STV News submitted freedom of information requests to 32 local authorities. Some did not respond, while others did not collect data on e-cigarette confiscations.
According to the report, similar incidents have occurred in schools in Clarkman South County, Inverclyde, East Dumbartonshire, and West Dumbartonshire. CEO of ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy, told STV News that e-cigarette promotions on social media platforms are "unsettling." She said, "We are particularly concerned about the appeal of e-cigarette flavors, bright colors, and packaging to young people, as they are portrayed positively and can be more easily influenced by e-cigarette advertising.
Many electronic cigarettes contain toxic e-liquids that have not undergone safe inhalation testing and may harm health over time, a concern particularly for children and young people whose lungs are still growing. Research has also shown that young people who try e-cigarettes are at a higher risk of using tobacco products, a prospect that we all hope our children can avoid.
Ms. Duffy has called for action to combat online marketing campaigns and to punish retailers found to be selling e-cigarette products to minors. A report by ASH reveals that the majority of young people are drawn to e-cigarettes promoted on popular social media platforms.
TikTok is the platform with the most frequent promotion activities for e-cigarettes, with 45% of young people viewing such campaigns. Instagram follows closely behind with 31%. Gillian Golden, CEO of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA), told STV News that "social media platforms are supposed to have policies to prevent the promotion of e-cigarettes to children, but they have hardly enforced them." She further explained that her organization monitors and reports infringements to social media platforms, but they rarely take any action, and TikTok is the worst platform in this regard. TikTok told STV News that it "strictly prohibits content that describes the sale of tobacco products," including e-cigarette products.
The Scottish government has launched a consultation to develop further guidelines to restrict the promotion of electronic cigarette products. A spokesperson said, "As this survey shows, more and more young people are accessing electronic cigarette products, and we are concerned about this. The law requires age verification procedures to be enabled on apps, and all staff must be trained on how to operate them. Shops selling these products to those under 18 should report to local trading standards officers. An independent report on our consultation regarding potential further restrictions on advertising and promotion of electronic cigarette products will be released this summer. This will be used to provide information for future policy decision-making.
Public health expert Linda Bauld has issued a warning that the risks of using e-cigarettes for non-smokers are still unknown. She added that the long-term use of e-cigarettes may cause damage to respiratory health, and that many products contain nicotine, which is addictive and a primary reason for e-cigarette use, despite being harmless to health.
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