Lead, nickel and chromium 10 TIMES higher than safe limit found lurking in vapes puffed by kids

Toxic metals lurk in cheap fumes puffed out by schoolchildren, a shock study revealed today.

Tests on e-cigarettes confiscated from youths showed that they contained dangerous amounts of lead, nickel and chromium.

Some were almost 10 times above safe limits.

Lead exposure can impair brain development, while the other two metals can cause blood clotting.

An expert claimed the probe’s results, conducted on e-cigs collected from students at a university in Worcestershire, were the “worst I’ve ever seen.”

It comes amid rising vaping rates among teens, in a trend that has led to warnings that Britain is ‘sleepwalking into a children’s existential crisis’.

While it’s widely believed to be safer than smoking, its long-term effects remain a mystery, and doctors fear a wave of lung disease, dental problems, and even cancer in people who started the habit at a young age could set in in the decades to come.

David Lawson, co-founder of Inter Scientific – the lab that analyzed 18 different e-cigs – said: ‘In 15 years of testing, I’ve never seen lead in a device.

‘None of these should be on the market – they break all the rules about allowed levels of metal. It’s the worst results I’ve ever seen.’

He spoke to BBC News, which received the full results of the investigation at Kidderminster’s Baxter College.

Most e-cigarettes were illegal and had not been tested before being sold in the UK.

Brightly colored “highlighter vapes,” sold in kid-friendly flavors like bubble gum and strawberry, contain 12 micrograms of lead per gram.

This is 2.4 times the prescribed safe exposure level.

The gadgets, which cost just £5 and are sold in stores across the country, were also more than 9.6 times the safe level of nickel and 6.6 times the safe level of chromium.

The metals were thought to come from the heating element in vapes, but tests showed they were actually in the e-liquid that was inhaled directly into the lungs.

Scientists also found compounds called carbonyls at 10 times the level in legal vaping.

These break down into chemicals such as formaldehyde and acealdehyde – which studies have shown can increase the risk of certain types of cancer – when the e-liquid heats up.

Dr. Salim Khan, head of the public health department at Birmingham City University, told MailOnline: ‘We know that there are a lot of people who produce vapes and vaping liquids that are not regulated.

“Now we see the impact. If there are no regulations, there is a chance that many harmful toxins will end up in vapors and they can do much more harm than good.

“Unfortunately, the providers selling these illicit vapors and liquids are most likely unaware of the harm they cause, as can be assumed [the devices] are manufactured according to quality control standards.’

He added: “Australia has introduced strict regulations to ban vaping products unless they are given by prescription.

This move will be viewed with interest by other governments, especially if it leads to a reduction in vaping.

“However, it can also backfire, driving people back to tobacco products.”

It comes as shocking data revealed last week that a record 11.6 per cent of Britain’s 11-17 year olds have now tried vaping.

This is up from 7.7 per cent last year and twice as high as a decade ago, before the UK’s vaping epidemic broke out.

A scathing MailOnline revelation last month exposed the true magnitude of the problem and the predatory marketing tactics of vape retailers.

E-cigs are already illegal for those under 18 to buy, but shops have been caught breaking the rules.

Puff bars, as they are called, are popular among teens. Brands include Elf Bars, Geek, and Crystal.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which oversees the safety of medical products used in the UK, has a vaping reporting scheme so that any harm caused by the devices can be recorded.

The watchdog’s head of e-cigarettes, Craig Copland, said the results of the BBC’s investigation will be reviewed to assess whether the fumes pose a health risk.

In efforts to curb the teen vaping crisis in the UK, some secondary schools – including Baxter College – have already installed devices to detect if children are vaping.

The headteacher, Mat Carpenter, told BBC News: ‘It’s been part of youth culture for a very long time and we’re way behind the curve in influencing children’s behavior on this, which is why we need such a strong message. ‘

Data released in March showed that some sensors are activated up to 22 times a day.

Last month, Health Minister Neil O’Brien confirmed the government’s ambition to crack down on the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s and the colorful packaging and candy flavors they use to lure children in. to lure.

He announced that policymakers will listen to experts from all quarters on how best to handle the crisis. At the same time, he also revealed that a £3 million task force would be set up to enforce the current regulations on vape sales.

Almost every main street in the country now has a designated store where e-cigs are paraded.

Despite the warnings surrounding vaping, health chiefs insist it is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes.

About 6 million people smoke in the UK and an estimated 64,000 deaths each year.

It also costs the NHS £2.4 billion every year to treat smoking-related conditions.

Rates have fallen over the past decade, but experts say it’s still not close enough to reach the smoke-free goal.

However, vaping rates have exploded in the same time.