Vaping among youngsters is on the rise, particularly among primary school children, according to a survey of 11,000 Flemish and Brussels pupils quoted by daily newspaper De Standaard.
However, the habit carries significant health risks. "E-cigarettes are poisonous," warned Professor Filip Lardon, cancer specialist at the University of Antwerp (UAntwerpen).
"More and more secondary school pupils admit to vaping," Lardon explained. He was surprised in a recent fourth year class to find half the pupils claiming to use e-cigarettes – a sharp increase from 30% the previous year.
This trend was confirmed on a larger scale. A study of 15 to 18 year-olds across all study fields revealed that 11% vape regularly and 8% daily, twice as many as those smoking standard cigarettes (4%), according to the poll led by Professor Guido van Hal, social epidemiology specialist at UAntwerpen.
Additionally, Lardon noted an uptick this year in calls for preventative education sessions amongst primary pupils in their second and third years. "Among final year primary school pupils, 10-20% freely admit to vaping. Yet, they do not understand the risks associated with such behaviour," he concluded.
