Concerned mom issues stark warning when her 13-year-old daughter stops eating and loses weight after buying ‘nicotine-free’ vaporizers over social media
- Mom warns parents about selling vapes over social media
- Says her 13-year-old girl stopped eating and started having withdrawal symptoms
A concerned mother has told how two of her children, the youngest just 13 years old, suffered withdrawal symptoms after they stopped popping on the pill.so-called nicotine-free vapors.
Sara Driver, a South Australian mother of three with 30 years of healthcare experience, spoke about the horror effects the vapes purchased online had on two of her children after her experience helped her notice worrying symptoms.
Her youngest daughter, 13, was able to buy it e-cigarettes ‘online via social media’ with the belief that they do not contain highly addictive nicotine.
“They became underweight, wouldn’t eat and contributed nothing to family life,” Ms Driver said.
Sara Driver (pictured), a South Australian mother of three with 30 years of healthcare experience, spoke about the horror effects the vapes purchased online had on two of her children
Her youngest daughter, 13, was able to purchase the e-cigarettes ‘online via social media’ believing they do not contain highly addictive nicotine
The SA government announced a two-month crackdown on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes containing nicotine, with the Health and Welfare Minister Chris Picton stated that companies ‘complete lie’ that the vapes contain no nicotine to unsuspecting consumers.
“I am really concerned about the alarming numbers of young people becoming addicted to vaping, with parents regularly contacting my office about the problem,” he said.
“These strict new conditions are designed to keep illicit nicotine vapor out of shops and out of the hands of South Australians, especially children,” Picton said.
Retailers have been given a month’s warning before new terms are added on July 10 under the Tobacco and E-Cigarette Products Act.
The regulations require retailers to prove that their vaping products are nicotine-free.
This is done by providing information from suppliers or by laboratory testing.
Beginning July 10, a two-month enforcement blitz will follow SA vape sales, with health officials making random visits without warning to retailers stocking vapes to ensure they contain no nicotine (stock image)
A two-month enforcement period will follow from July 10, during which health officials will make random, no-warning visits to retailers stocking vapes.
Current SA laws only allow the sale of nicotine vaping products by prescription.
Anyone caught selling the products without a license will face prosecution and fines of up to $20,000.
The move is an interim message the federal government is finalizing plans to halt the importation and sale of nicotine-containing non-prescription e-cigarettes.
Health Minister Mark Butler announced a sweeping crackdown on vaping this week, including banning popular disposable single-use vapes and banning the importation of over-the-counter vaping into Australia.
Adults can only purchase vapes from pharmacies with a prescription rather than stores, and vapes are only sold in plain packaging and flavors.
Mr Butler described vaping as the ‘biggest loophole in Australian history’ and the ‘No. 1 behavioral problem in secondary schools’.
“As health minister, I’m just not prepared to normalize this product,” he said.
The move has been welcomed by health organizations such as the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), the Alcohol and Drug Foundation and the Public Health Association of Australia.