Vaping involves inhaling a mixture, typically made up of nicotine, water, solvents, and flavours.
.png)
00:00
00:00
00:00
By Racquel Porter
Students and school administrators are calling for regulations and sanctions to make it difficult for minors to access e-cigarettes.
The call comes amid reports of increased vaping among youth and children.
Vaping involves inhaling a mixture, typically made up of nicotine, water, solvents, and flavours.
The devices consist of a mouthpiece, battery, cartridge containing the mixture, and a heating component.
A discussion was held Wednesday between students and stakeholders, including representatives of the National Council on Drug Abuse, to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use in observance of World No Tobacco Day.
School administrator Oshane Bailey said the ability to conceal the vaping device is what makes it more attractive to students.
"I've seen in my school where sometimes when we get to them or we hear that they have the vape on them and we go to search them, it doesn't carry a scent like the natural tobacco or the marijuana would, and so they would stash them away," he noted.
Mr. Bailey also pointed to the lack of regulations or "any stiff penalty" in Jamaica which would steer adults away of selling vaping devices to children.
A high school student expressed concern about the ease of access to tobacco products by children younger than 18.
"I think it's very easy to access because of lack of regulations for a lot of distributors. Most people who distribute vapes or cigarettes to children under 18 I think really just don't care, and it's very sad to see in our country," he bemoaned.
According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey, 15.6 per cent of Jamaican students used tobacco products in 2017.
The Ministry of Health has said the impending Tobacco Control Act (2020) will curtail the promotion and sale of tobacco products to children.
All feeds
