An alarming number of Victorian babies are being exposed to deadly vapes, the Herald Sun has revealed.
According to data from Victoria’s poison line, 134 calls were made in 2022 to the hotline in relation to poisoning from e-cigarettes involving children under four years old.
Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The Victorian Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:
This is up from 51 in the previous year.
Nineteen calls were in relation to babies being poisoned, up from eight the previous year.
In total, the hotline received 181 calls in relation to e-cigarette poisoning in 2022, up from 103 in 2021.
Chief executive of VicHealth, Dr Sandro Demaio told the Herald Sun the increase for calls for help was “extremely concerning”.
“They smell and look like lollies, so kids are going to look at their parents using the e-cigarettes and think it’s something for them,” Dr Demaio said.
“Vapes are much easier for children to try compared to traditional cigarettes.”
Children are easily manipulated into the temptation of vapes due to the sweet scents similar to lollies and the bright colour packaging.
They are also easier to access compared to cigarettes, which require to be lit to inhale.
Children can present a number of symptoms if poisoned by vapes, including: nausea and vomiting, increased blood pressure, headaches and dizziness, abdominal pain, increased salivation and more.
Younger people are more prone to nicotine poisoning from vapes due to their smaller body sizes and the higher concentration found in e-cigarettes.
Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia’s fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. The Briefing serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.