logo
I buy my children vapes to try to control their addiction

I buy my children vapes to try to control their addiction

Yahoo4 days ago
Emma is doing something she swore she would never do.
In an attempt to have some control over her children's vaping habits, she's resorted to buying them the vapes herself.
She's not proud of it, but says it feels like the only way to keep her two teenagers safe and reduce the high levels of nicotine they were consuming.
"It went against every bone in my body to do that, but they're addicted," Emma says. "It's not a simple case of telling them to stop – it is so much harder than that."
Emma believes her son, who she has asked the BBC not to name, began vaping in primary school.
He managed to keep it from her for a while, but by the time he got to high school, his protests of "that vape's not mine" had started to wear thin.
By the time Emma's son was 15, he was becoming breathless, contracted tonsillitis, and, at one point, was in so much pain, Emma called an ambulance.
"The paramedics said the incessant vaping could be causing this," she says. "They told him to try and stop, or at the very least cut down."
It was then Emma decided something had to change – she was going to take control and buy the vapes - trying to reduce their nicotine intake from 20mg to 10mg.
"I warned them – if I see them with a device that has more nicotine in – then I'll stop buying them any, full stop."
Emma says she felt she could then be confident the vapes would be from a reputable supplier, they wouldn't be illegal and contain other harmful products, and she could control the level of nicotine.
Stop telling me to lower my cortisol - it's making me stressed!
People say cola and fries are helping their migraines - but there's a twist
'WeightWatchers set me up to fail' - Why diet industry is losing to jabs like Ozempic
Not only is it illegal to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18, it is also illegal to buy them for anyone underage. Emma knows what she is doing isn't legal, but feels this was her only choice.
She believes she has managed to reduce her son's nicotine intake, in part by buying the vapes, but also by having such an open conversation with him.
But Emma says the disposable vape ban, which came into effect on 1 June, has had little impact on her children's nicotine consumption.
It was introduced due to environmental concerns and to reduce the rising number of children and young people vaping.
While vapes provide a far healthier alternative to cigarettes, there are concerns that vaping provides a gateway into nicotine addiction - with disposable vapes enticing children and young people with their fruity flavours and cheap prices.
Health experts agree anyone who does not smoke should not start vaping, as it may cause long-term damage to the lungs, heart and brain.
But weeks after the ban came into force, Kate Pike from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, says she fears it won't make any difference - and she says some rechargeable vapes, which are still legal to buy, are being marketed directly at children.
"We are finding compliant products – vapes that are refillable and rechargeable – with packs of stickers in them," she says. "What adult is going to want to decorate their vape with stickers?"
She also says it is very difficult to tell the difference between the now-illegal disposables and the legal refillable vapes. And due to some being fitted with pre-filled pods, they are still being used "like disposable vapes and discarded."
At Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, home to the UK's first NHS vaping clinic for children, Professor Rachel Isba says parents should not be hard on themselves – they are fighting a battle against the might of a huge vaping industry.
"The important thing is not to judge your child; the world our young people live in is a difficult place to grow up in," she says. "There are so many competing pressures."
Her clinic supports 11-15-year-olds who have been referred by other NHS healthcare professionals. It has been open since January and already has a six-week waiting list.
"The children that come to see me have to want to see me and understand why they are here," Prof Isba says. "It could be that they are noticing a change with their bodies – they struggle to play sport without being out of breath for instance, or they're coughing up blood, or they just know they're addicted and they want to stop or cut down."
She says some young people are sleeping with vapes under their pillows so they can get a nicotine hit in the middle of the night, and their addiction can be so strong they experience "micro withdrawals" in school.
"They are consuming nicotine so frequently that they begin to feel anxious if they don't have it – even for the length of a double maths lesson, for example."
They then think they need the vape to reduce the anxiety, she explains, but it is nicotine withdrawal that is causing those feelings in the first place.
Prof Isba offers nicotine replacement therapy – such as gums and patches – and talks to them about how vaping affects their lives.
"We might discuss ways they might be able to cut down, what triggers them to vape and even how much money they might save simply by not vaping."
She says the government's Tobacco and Vapes bill is a good step forward but would like to see more paediatric addiction services across the NHS.
The problem is "far greater" than her clinic, she says, and she is concerned vaping could become a gateway drug into smoking and other dependences.
Dan from Twickenham, a father of three boys, agrees. He says the conversation about youth vaping is redundant because, he says, that "horse has bolted".
His 17-year-old got expelled from school in February because he was caught with cannabis in his vape, and his 14-year-old was close to losing his school place recently because of a similar issue.
"Vaping is a gateway drug," Dan says. "They become addicted to nicotine and then harder stuff follows.
"They've definitely smoked [cigarettes] and now my eldest is addicted to nicotine pouches. It's never ending."
A government spokesperson told the BBC it was taking "tough action" to tackle youth vaping - including giving Trading Standards the power to issue £200 on-the-spot fines to anyone found selling tobacco or vapes to people underage.
They also added that single-use vapes were a "blight on our streets" and that the government had made it compulsory for all vape retailers to provide recycling bins.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

U.S. Retreat From Global Vaccine May Increase Diseases, Experts Warn
U.S. Retreat From Global Vaccine May Increase Diseases, Experts Warn

Forbes

timean hour ago

  • Forbes

U.S. Retreat From Global Vaccine May Increase Diseases, Experts Warn

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: The Palace of Westminster lit up by Global Citizen in a striking call to ... More action: Renew UK funding for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on May 19, 2025 in London, England. (Photo byfor Global Citizen) A decade of protection. That's what Elizabeth Khayumbi was seeking for her six-month-old daughter, Jaisley, on a recent trip to a local public health clinic near Nairobi, Kenya. 'I know immunisation protects her, as I too was protected,' Khayumbi recently told Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Over the past twenty-five years, Gavi has helped immunize more than 1.1 billion children just like Jaisley. Working across 78 low-income countries, the organization has prevented nearly 19 million deaths from diseases like pneumonia, diarrhea and measles while creating stronger health systems to help combat other viruses like HIV. Last week, Gavi held its sixth fundraising replenishment, securing $9 billion in pledges—$2.9 billion short of its goal, but more than expected given the turbulent year for global health, especially for multilateral institutions. Portugal increased its contribution by 54%. Indonesia, a country that once received Gavi funding became its newest donor, showing that progress is possible. And the European Commission, Australia and Spain all increased their pledges. But there was one noticeable absence from the donor list: The United States. In a video that was released by the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, announced that the U.S. would not pledge any money to Gavi, saying the organization had 'ignored the science' around vaccine safety. It was a move that doctors described as stunning and calamitous. The U.S. was an original donor to Gavi in 2001 and a rapid retreat from the organization could jeopardize thousands, if not millions, of children's lives. A World With More Deaths And Diseases If you want to see Gavi's impact, just look at a country like Kenya. In 1989, only 44% of Kenyan children were vaccinated. By 2023, that number had risen to over 93%. The organization followed a simple recipe: As Gavi raised more money, it purchased and distributed more life-saving vaccines. As a result, more children were vaccinated against devastating viruses, and more were lives saved. Between 2000 and 2023, Kenya's child mortality rate plummeted from 96 deaths per 1,000 live births to 40 deaths per 1,000 live births. Yes, Gavi invested a lot of money in Kenya, nearly $1 billion, but the Kenyan government also increased its domestic health resources, too. Thanks to their collective efforts, well over one million child deaths were averted. Without U.S. assistance, Gavi will have to make some tough decisions. The organization may have to reduce the number of vaccines it offers or curb the number of countries it helps. Roughly 13% of the organization's budget comes from American taxpayers. Absent U.S. generosity, as many as 75 million fewer children will be vaccinated and an additional one million children could die. Kennedy's announcement, which aligns with President Trump's 'America First' rhetoric, may have also given other countries permission to step back from the world's most vulnerable. The United Kingdom, historically Gavi's top donor, issued a pledge that constituted a 40% cut in real terms from the last commitment made under conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 'Many thousands of children who could have lived will instead die – it's hugely disappointing to see the UK government backsliding rather than driving progress on global poverty,' Dr. Sandy Douglas, a senior vaccinologist at Oxford University's Jenner Institute, told the Guardian. Gavi directly supports vaccination campaigns against roughly 20 diseases ranging from Ebola to malaria. Fewer resources could cause more diseases and infections. Experts fear this could trigger health setbacks for both low-income countries and for Western ones, too, as viruses and diseases do not require passports. Children with less access to vaccines are more likely to contract opportunistic infections that are prevalent among immunocompromised individuals living with viruses like HIV. And a pullback in health system strengthening and capacity building could lead to fewer maternal and newborn health services and higher mother-to-child transmission rates. Who Will Step Up? When countries like the U.S. and U.K. step back, the world does not stand still. Others, like China, tend to step forward. The country's Belt and Road Initiative is well documented. But less has been written about China's efforts to leverage vaccine diplomacy. During the Covid-19 pandemic, China donated hundreds of millions of vaccines to Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. To date, some Chinese vaccines companies have shunned Gavi-backed markets. However, as Chinese biotechnology companies develop drugs at a faster, cheaper clip than the U.S., they may well be positioned to fill the vacuum. On a hopeful note, Gavi announced new private sector partnerships worth over $149 million to strengthen digital and supply chains. Zipline and Gavi will continue scaling up their vaccine drone-based delivery efforts across Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, and Nigeria. Integrate Health and partners are aiming to further vaccine equity across Guinea and West Africa. And the UPS Foundation committed to helping improve supply chain networks to better deliver vaccines to children in low-income countries. While experts caution there is no substitute for public sector leadership, private sector innovation and expertise can be transformative. What's Next? Following Secretary Kennedy's announcements, advocacy organizations, including the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition underscored the bipartisan nature of America's longstanding support for Gavi and the need for Congress to have the ultimate say. The plea's came as the House and Senate continue the appropriations process that is expected to culminate before the start of the fiscal year on October 1st. In the meantime, Gavi will plow ahead with its essential work. The $9 billion haul of mostly new pledges helps put the organization another step closer to supporting its goal of vaccinating 500 million children from preventable disease and averting between 8 and 9 million future deaths. 'In a very, very dire moment for global health… this is far better than I hoped it would be,' Sania Nishtar, Gavi's Chief Executive, told Reuters. 'But we have to be mindful that if we fall short… there will be lives we are unable to save.'

If Most People Get HPV at Some Point, Do You Need to Tell Partners You Have It?
If Most People Get HPV at Some Point, Do You Need to Tell Partners You Have It?

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

If Most People Get HPV at Some Point, Do You Need to Tell Partners You Have It?

The sexually transmitted infection human papillomavirus (HPV) is really, really, ridiculously common. Roughly 13 million people get it each year, according to CDC data, and it's safe to assume that if you're sexually active, you will likely have it at some point in your life—giving it the dubious honor of being the most common STI. There are many strains of the virus, most of which aren't dangerous and have no symptoms, so you can get it and get over it (your body fights and clears it on its own) without ever knowing. It also means you can unknowingly give it to someone else—which is a big part of the reason it's seemingly everywhere. Indeed, it might seem like since HPV is all around us, there's no real need to inform your sexual partners if you have it. They either have it, too, or are bound to at some point, right? So why make it awkward? "It's a bit of a quandary—there are so many different strains of HPV that most people have had at least one," Idries Abdur-Rahman, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn, tells SELF. Plus, you can only get tested for the virus if you have a vagina, so depending on who you're telling, they may not even be able to find out whether they have it, too, Dr. Abdur-Rahman explains (more on that later). Those factors combined with the fact that HPV is often harmless means it's natural to wonder if speaking up is worth it, he says. But the truth is that, although HPV is common, certain strains of the virus can be dangerous. And as with any STI, there's a certain amount of honesty you owe to a partner if you know that you may pass something along to them—even if it seems like it's probably NBD. Here's what you need to know before you give yourself permission to keep mum. Many of the 200-plus viruses that fall under the HPV umbrella won't harm you at all, and you'll never know you had one because they often clear from your system all on their own, Antonio Pizarro, MD, an ob-gyn, urogynecologist, and female pelvic medicine expert in Shreveport, LA, tells SELF. But there are several strains—usually types 6 and 11—that cause genital warts, or little clusters of flat or raised bumps you can pass to a partner. Wart-causing strains are considered 'low-risk,' because they rarely cause cancer but in some cases, they might. And there are 12 'high-risk' types of HPV that can cause cancer of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, head, and neck. Of those, types 16 and 18 are to blame for most HPV-related cases of cancer, including cervical cancer. If you know that you are HPV positive, chances are it's one of these higher-risk strains: HPV tests don't screen for every 200-plus virus; they only look for a dozen or so strains that are more likely to cause cancer. But having one of these types doesn't automatically mean you'll develop any health issues. In fact, chances are, you'll still clear the infection and be HPV-free with no lingering effects. "Unless it causes untreated cancer, HPV is not lethal, and it's very likely to simply go away on its own," Dr. Pizarro reiterates. However, "even if a person—male or female—who's been exposed doesn't develop cancer, HPV can be passed on to subsequent partners and lead to cancer for them. This needs to be disclosed the way any other STD needs to be disclosed," Dr. Pizarro says. An HPV test is done as part of routine cervical cancer screening…which means you have to have a cervix to ever learn if you do, in fact, have HPV. For the test, your ob-gyn will swab the inside of your vagina and way up into the cervix, collecting a sample of secretions, and sending it to a lab. A Pap smear, which is done the same way, tests for changes in cervical cells and not the HPV virus specifically—but typically, an abnormal result is highly suggestive of HPV. The recommendations for when to get which test are a little confusing, but the most likely guideline your ob-gyn will follow is that of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), which advises anyone with a cervix aged 21 to 29 is screened with a Pap every 3 years, and then from age 30 to 65, with an HPV test every 5 years. Alternative options include getting a Pap every 3 years or getting a combined HPV/Pap (called a co-test) every 5 years. But there's no commercially available HPV or HPV-adjacent test for people with penises, Dr. Lew notes. 'They have done studies on HPV in [cis] men, so a test must exist, but it's not a test you could go into a doctor's office and ask for,' Dr. Lew says. Since HPV is asymptomatic until it progresses to the point of causing cancer—unlike other STIs that might cause pain during urination or discharge, prompting someone to seek medical care—if you aren't subject to cervical cancer screening, you'll likely go your entire life never knowing you have or had it. The exception: 'If you genital warts, then you can assume you have some version of HPV,' says Dr. Lew. The wart-causing strains of the virus are not usually the same ones that cause abnormal Pap smears and cancer, but it's still good to know and important to disclose to your partner that you have a form of HPV that causes genital warts. (Because reminder: In some situations, these strains can turn into cancer, which is why they are called 'low-risk' and not 'no-risk.') Although people with penises are often none the wiser if a partner gives them HPV, they can also still end up getting cancer: About 40% of HPV-related cancers happen in cis men. If you have one of the higher-risk strains, it could put your partner at risk for several types of cancer, and telling them gives them the chance to talk to their doctor and keep a closer eye on their health. It also lets them know that they might be at risk of passing that scarier strain on to future partners. To be honest, safe sex isn't guaranteed to fully prevent you getting any STIs (though it's certainly better than doing nothing). But since HPV is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, barriers like dental dams and condoms don't protect you from getting it during sex as much as they do against STIs passed via mucous membranes and bodily fluids, like syphilis and gonorrhea. 'Condoms do help protect against HPV infection,' Jennifer Lew, MD, an ob-gyn at Northwestern Medicine Regional Medical Group, tells SELF. 'But like all STIs, they can't offer complete protection because they are only covering a small section of the body parts that come in contact [during sex],' she explains. Ultimately, though, 'it's the best we have for protecting yourself or your partner,' so it's always a good idea to use protection, despite its imperfections. So, how can you protect yourself and others? Well, abstinence is always an option (albeit an impractical one). Because HPV can infect multiple areas of the body, this would mean not having vaginal, oral, or anal sex…ever. Limiting your sexual partners can also reduce your exposure. The best way to avoid any of the risky types of the virus is by getting the HPV vaccine, which protects against the two low-risk wart-causing strains and seven of the ones that cause the majority of cancers. It's approved for all genders, FYI. The vaccine is most effective when taken before you're sexually active and exposed to HPV, but is approved for people up to 45. If you weren't vaccinated earlier in life, talk to your doctor about whether it's a good option for you. So many people have HPV. 'It's not a badge of shame,' Dr. Pizarro says, so telling someone doesn't need to be a huge production. 'I would just bring it up as saying you've tested positive for HPV, it's super common, and a lot of people have it," he says. Dr. Lew is a proponent of always disclosing HPV to your partner, if you know you have it. 'It brings honesty to the relationship,' she says. It can also bring up some sticky feelings—including guilt on one partner's part, if they could have been the one to give it to the other unknowingly. It's important to remember, and perhaps communicate to your partner, that the majority of people have had HPV and it's almost impossible to track who gave it to whom and when…so it's likely just counterproductive to focus on that. Talking to your partner about an HPV diagnosis may also prompt a larger conversation about STIs and encourage you both to get a full panel done. It's never a bad idea to check in and get a test every now and then to make sure everyone is healthy and safe. If you're apprehensive, scared, angry, or feeling any other emotion after an HPV diagnosis, lean on your ob-gyn for assurance and guidance. Figuring out what HPV means for your health and sex life can be immensely confusing, thanks in large part to the fact that there are so many different strains. If you're not totally sure what to make of all this information, you're not alone. Even ob-gyns have different ways of thinking about the potential risks, so be sure to bring up any questions or concerns with your own doctor who can discuss your specific diagnosis. Related: Is There an Age Limit for the HPV Vaccine—and How Effective Is It for Adults? You Can Absolutely Get an STI From Oral Sex These Are the Only Kinds of Birth Control That Also Protect Against STIs Get more of SELF's great service journalism delivered right to your inbox. Originally Appeared on Self

Birth Rate Rises as Trend to Older Parenting Continues
Birth Rate Rises as Trend to Older Parenting Continues

Medscape

timean hour ago

  • Medscape

Birth Rate Rises as Trend to Older Parenting Continues

The number of live births in England and Wales rose last year, the first increase since 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). There were 594,677 live births registered in 2024, up 0.6% from 591,072 in 2023. England saw a 0.74% increase, while Wales recorded a fall of nearly 2%. Despite the uptick, the rise was smaller than the 1.8% increase recorded between 2020 and 2021. The 2024 figure remained historically low, marking the third-lowest total since 1977. Older Parents The ONS reported a 'notable' rise in births to older fathers, particularly those aged 60 and over. This group saw a 14.2% increase in live births, from 942 in 2023 to 1076 in 2024. The trend toward older parenthood continued. Live births rose among parents over 30 and declined among those under 30. The data reflected reflected how people continue to 'put off having children until later in life', said Greg Ceely, head of population health monitoring at the ONS. The largest increase in births by maternal age was seen among mothers aged 35 to 39, rising by 2.7%. The sharpest decline occurred in mothers under 20, falling by 4.6%. Paternal age followed a similar pattern. Births to fathers under 30 fell, while most age groups over 30 saw increases. An exception was among fathers aged 45 to 49, where a dip of 0.6% was recorded. Regional Differences in Birth Rates Birth increases were driven primarily by London and the West Midlands. London recorded a 1.8% rise, while the West Midlands saw a 3.4% jump. Five English regions saw a decline, including the South East, East, South West, and East Midlands. The North East saw the largest drop, at 1.4%. Non-UK-Born Parents Make Up Growing Share In England, 40.4% of live births last year involved at least one parent born outside the UK, up from 38.2% in 2023. In Wales, the figure rose from 17.5% to 19.4%. London continued to have the highest proportion of births involving at least one non-UK-born parent. The North East had the lowest. In Wales, Cardiff had the highest percentage (40.6%) of such births. Caerphilly had the lowest, at 8.9%. A total of 33.9% of live births in England and Wales were to non-UK-born mothers, up from 31.8% in 2023. The share rose significantly among older mothers, reaching 55.5% for those aged 45 and over. Among mothers under 20, 15.7% were born outside the UK. India remained the most common country of birth for both non-UK-born mothers and fathers for the third consecutive year. Pakistan ranked second. Iraq entered the top 10 for mothers and remained tenth for fathers, having first appeared in 2023. Other Key Trends The stillbirth rate in England decreased slightly in 2024, from 3.9 to 3.8 per 1000 live births. In Wales, the rate rose from 4.0 to 4.4, returning to 2022 levels. 'A couple of other long-term trends are continuing, such as seeing around half of live births within marriage or civil partnership,' said Ceely. This proportion has remained stable since 2010. Boxing Day remained the least common day for births, a feature that has persisted for 12 years. The most common date was 23 February. Tuesday was the most frequent day for births (15.5%), while Saturday and Sunday were the least common (both 11.9%).

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store