Patients could be asked if they have ever vaped in bid to tackle ‘growing public health epidemic’

Doctors could be forced to ask all patients if they’ve ever vaped and add it to their medical records so they can be monitored for harm.

The move is part of a major investigation by the British Medical Association into the dangers, marketing and illegal sale of e-cigarettes.

Delegates at the union’s annual conference in Liverpool today supported a motion describing vaping and its effects as a ‘growing public health epidemic’.

Medics warned that the number of children vaping in England is now “staggering” and poses a real risk to the country’s health.

They required the BMA’s board of science to review vaping and e-nicotine products, highlighting the “dangers” to children and adults.

They will also consider whether all marketing of the products should be banned

It will explore ways to stop the illegal sale of vapes to people under the age of 18 and consider whether all marketing of the products should be banned.

Members want their expert panel to consider the impact of using plain packaging for vapes, “in the same spirit as tobacco products” and a ban on “all” flavorings.

They will also discuss ‘recording the history of e-nicotine use as a regular/essential part of the patient’s history and examination’.

Dr. Naabil Khan told the deputies: ‘We have a role and a duty to protect our people.

‘This is only possible through strong and sustainable additions to the policy that ensure that we tackle the growing epidemic.’

Dr. Ryan Devlin, from the BMA’s Lothian division, said vaping is ‘dangerous’ and can cause ‘serious lung damage’, adding: ‘Vaping can help you quit smoking, but those who have never smoked should don’t try.

“We know it’s dangerous, dangers that are compounded in young people. Yet the number of people who have never smoked and try vapes is increasing.’

He said the number of young people using vapes is “staggering” because they “shouldn’t have access to it.”

Shock data from last month revealed a record: 11.6 per cent of Britain’s 11- to 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

“Vapes are sold illegally to this vulnerable group. But why are they even sought after by under-18s in the first place?

“It’s not just the visibility, it’s the way they’re marketed: watermelon, bubble gum, cotton candy, ice cream.”

Last month, figures from the NHS revealed that 40 children and young people were hospitalized in England last year for ‘vaping-related conditions’, up from 11 two years earlier.

The Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health also warned that e-cigarettes ‘are not a risk-free product and can be just as, if not more, addictive than traditional cigarettes’.

Dr. Devlin called on the organization to “make clear the dangers of vaping.”

He added: “Please end this burgeoning health crisis now before it gets worse.”

NHS Digital data, based on the survey of smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England for the year 2021, showed that 30 per cent of children in Yorkshire and the Humber have used a vape

Prime Candy on Oxford Street, where MailOnline found huge vape displays alongside many different types of American candy

Dr. Penelope Toff, chair of the BMA Public Health Medicine Committee, said: ‘The concern is that these products, with their bright colors and packaging, stylized designs, candy store-inspired flavors and relatively low price, are clearly made to appeal to children. and young people.’

She said the “decisive vote” of BMA members on the motion “shows that physicians, whose primary goal is to keep the population healthy and prevent harm, are rightly angry that products that pose a health hazard are being promoted to children around the world. UK’.

She said: ‘Stricter regulation is needed, in line with that for tobacco products, tailored to e-nicotine products, including plain packaging and appropriate health warnings.

Action must be taken to prevent children from accessing these products.

“There is a need for further independent research into their long-term effect on both adults and children, but in the meantime urgent steps need to be taken to protect people from known dangers.”