Debate contribution: Vaping: Dangers to Children

Debate contribution by Miss Órlaithí Flynn on 22 October 2024.

MLA

Miss Órlaithí Flynn

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

22 October 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Vaping: Dangers to Children

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4608592

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

Danny and Peter have given thorough accounts of Members' comments, so I do not want everyone to have to sit through that a third time.

I thank them for those accounts. All the comments have been helpful. Words that were repeated in Members' remarks include "crisis", "epidemic", "scourge on our society", "absolute plague" and "significant concern". It is clear that everyone takes the issue seriously and is concerned about it. Thanks again to Danny and Peter for summarising the debate. I welcome the opportunity to wind on the motion, which is about reducing the number of young people who vape or might consider vaping. I hope that it will go some way towards doing that. Throughout the debate, Members addressed crucial issues including to what extent accountability for tackling the growing problem, specifically on school grounds, should rest with the education system. Members also covered issues related to the health system and the role that the Department of Health can play in reducing the number of young people who vape: we heard about some of the legislation that will, hopefully, be passed in the Assembly to ban smoking and some vapes. Last but not least, Members addressed what responsibilities the justice system, the police and councils have in relation to the manufacture and sale of vapes, including illegal vapes that can contain very harmful and potentially life-threatening substances and drugs. I doubt that many young people or school students are watching today's debate — although there are two in the Gallery who are on work experience: you are more than welcome. However, if any other young people are watching or pick up on some of what Members have said in the debate, the critical message that I would like them to take away is that vaping is dangerous and bad for your health. As we know, far too many young people pick up the habit as young teens. It has damaging consequences for their health and can, sadly, act as a gateway to other drugs and, ultimately, to addiction. We know that, in many cases, young people pick up the habit in the company of their friends and peers in the school environment, as the Minister said. What worries me most about the trend — the huge increase in the number of children smoking vapes — is the danger posed by some of the substances that the young people are smoking. Some of those kids are not even aware of the dangerous substances or drugs contained in some of the vapes that are already in circulation in many of our schools. The problem potentially affects us all: every single one of us in the Chamber and every single one of our constituents. We all have connections to young people: sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, neighbours, friends or whoever. We are all connected to young people in some shape or form. Vaping, including of dangerous vapes that are spiked with drugs, has already reached our streets, our schools and our young people. Earlier in the year — in April, I think — the PHA warned the public that use of the drug spice is now all too common here in the North.

Thankfully, parents have already been urged to talk to young people about the dangers of vaping unknown substances, especially spice, which some vapes contain. Spice mimics the effects of cannabis. It can have serious side effects, including nausea and mood swings as well as a loss of muscle coordination.

Synthetic cannabinoids are relatively new. A lot of evidence is still being gathered on them, but the Public Health Agency has already alerted us to the fact that people can have severe reactions after using them. I do not know whether that information is out there among the general public, especially among young people. Using those drugs with vapes could make them even more unsafe. We know that spice is available in liquid form and is being used in e-cigarettes and vapes. Regrettably, there is demand for that drug locally. Most worrying for us all, however, is the fact that children and young people are accessing vapes that contain that drug. These issues are, of course, much broader than the education system and what the Education Minister can do to tackle them. It comes back to the justice system, the police and any other avenue that we have to try to stop individuals who have found a way to exploit children and young people and put them in danger by putting spice oil into vapes. I am glad to see that PSNI's local neighbourhood teams have been doing some outreach work by visiting schools to alert them to the dangers of the vapes, particularly the drugs that are in them. The PHA has encouraged parents and guardians to talk to their children about the dangers of vaping potentially dangerous unknown substances. Unfortunately, though, we are hearing reports of primary-school children vaping, so it is happening at that very young age. I am dealing with families, not just from west Belfast, who have already been affected by the issue. Kids have been taken out of school and cannot go back. Sadly, in one case, a child is already in the throes of addiction as a result of getting spice in a vape. I alert the Minister to the important point that Deirdre Hargey made about the Amplify pilot project. I do not knows loads about it, so I will go away and research it. If there already are community toolkits that might work, we could use them in other areas and communities. The public health advice that has been put out to parents and guardians is completely correct in telling them not to wait until they perceive there to be a problem. Instead, they should start thinking now about prevention and have early conversations with their children and young people. The same advice should apply to everybody in the Chamber, and to all Departments: please do not wait. What are we waiting on? Are we waiting on more hospital admissions or a death? We know that it is a problem and that it is impacting on young people. It has reached young people, so what are we going to do to tackle it? Hopefully, if the motion is agreed, everyone can chip in and do their bit to make a difference.

1,067 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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