SOUND THE Alarm

Businessman Simon

Hassett has taken it upon himself to design and create a vape detector to keep sneaky students from vaping in school bathrooms. With a background in software, the entrepreneur was tasked with helping teachers to find a cheap anti-vaping solution following an increase in the amount of youths puffing in the toilets. Several schools in Hampshire have started using the homemade devices and have reported that in week one of having the detectors, there were 17-22 alerts each day. The number of alerts then dropped to between eight and 11 after using the ‘alarms for just two weeks.

IN THE Bin

New Zealand’s Health Minister –Ayesha Verrall – has announced a nationwide ban on disposable vapes with efforts to begin in August 2023. New vape shops will also not be allowed near schools or Maori meeting places and flavors like ‘Cotton Candy’ to be barred in favor for more generic e-liquids such as ‘Berry’. This comes following the country’s recent chokehold on smoking as it continues to phase into a near-total prohibition on tobacco sales with a current eight percent of the population continuing to smoke.

Labour Leader – Kier Starmer – has disclosed his latest vision to change advertising plans by banning vapes from being advertised and branded to appeal to children. During a speech in Essex, the Party Leader said he will make products which are harmful to our children’s health –specifically vapes – unavailable to be shown on TV before 9 p.m. Following on from Starmer’s comments, Rishi Sunak has also pledged to look at ways of strengthening marketing rules and has said vapes “look like they are targeted at kids which is ridiculous”.

British Police have warned that vaping behind the wheel could result in a fine of up to five thousand pounds or even a ban from driving - in more severe cases. Whilst the highway code specifically lists smoking as one of the several things to avoid, vaping is being deemed just as dangerous and could result in a serious injury or fatal accident. The vapor that e-cigarettes produce could potentially pose the same distraction, causing serious viewing obstructions whilst driving and making it difficult to stay focused on the road.

Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty has written an article for The Times outlining the benefits swapping from smoking to vaping can have on the public’s health. “Using vapes is a quitting tool many addicted smokers find effective and given the multiple and immense health risks of smoking it is much safer to vape than to smoke.”

Once addicted, most smokers subsequently want to quit but this is very difficult. The deliberate industry-induced addiction has taken their choice away and is causing entirely preventable illness and death in the UK.