Â鶹Éç

The government has launched a consultation which will focus on finding ways to reduce the number of children using vapes in England.

A consultation is an official investigation where the government gets advice and views from lots of different people including doctors, schools and companies that sell vapes.

It follows a government announcement last week which outlined its plans to introduce "tough new measures" to tackle the illegal sale of vapes to under-18s.

This includes the introduction of a new vapes enforcement squad which will crack down on people selling them to teenagers.

Although the latest data shows most teenagers aren't vapers - only 11% of 11 to 17-year-olds tried it in 2021, doctors have said they are concerned that the number of children using vapes is increasing.

The most recent statistics from the NHS from 2021 revealing that 9% of secondary school pupils between the ages of 11 and 15 use a vape regularly or occasionally - up from 6% in 2018.

Vapes, which are also known as electronic or e-cigarettes, are small devices which hold a liquid containing nicotine, in addition to a number of chemicals.

This liquid heats up creating a vapour, which is inhaled by the person using it.

Vapes are seen as good replacements for adults who smoke cigarettes to help them stop - as they don't contain tobacco, which is harmful.

The government has also said it wants adult smokers to switch to vapes and it says it'll be giving one million smokers free vaping starter kits to encourage them to give up tobacco products.

However, the rising popularity of vaping isn't just happening among adult smokers.

There are increasing concerns about the number of children getting their hands on vapes.

"Smoking kills, so our priority is to prevent people smoking, and support them to quit..." said government health minister Neil O'Brien.

"However, while vaping is a preferable alternative to smoking for adults, we are concerned about the rise in youth vaping, particularly the increasing use of disposable vaping products."

The government will be providing more details on its plans to make it harder for children to illegally buy e-cigarettes in England this week.

It says the new enforcement squad, which will be made up of trading standards officers, will target shops selling vapes to under-18s. The Department of Health says it will be providing £3 million to tackle the issue.

The government will also be calling for help in identifying how best to stop children from vaping.

"The new illicit vapes enforcement squad will work across the country and clamp down on those businesses who sell vapes to children - which is illegal - and get them hooked on nicotine," Neil O'Brien said.

"Our call for evidence will also allow us to get a firm understanding of the steps we can take to reduce the number of children accessing and using vapes."