Child center De Bundertjes in Helmond has sent an email to parents after children from group 7 brought a vape pen with them. These are flavored e-cigarettes that often do not contain pure nicotine, but do contain other harmful substances. The primary school children also knew where to buy these e-cigarettes at a young age. “Very undesirable.”
Director Renate Groenveld will not be present on Thursday for a comment, but colleagues say they took it seriously when it became clear two weeks ago that children from group 7 had the vape pens with them.
In an email to parents, the following can be read: “It is very undesirable that children are in possession of a vape pen, let alone that they are going to use it. It is therefore not allowed to take it to primary school. .”
‘Where and through whom to buy’
What further concerns the school board is the way in which children can obtain these e-cigarettes. “These children knew where and through whom you can buy these pens as a child.” That is more difficult in the store because you have to be 18 to buy an e-cigarette.
The primary school immediately entered into discussions with the parents of the children involved. With the letter they hope to start a conversation between parent and child about this ‘new phenomenon for primary school’.
The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) expressed concern earlier about the increasing number of e-cigarette users. They would be especially popular with young people because the vapor often has a sweet taste like fruit flavors or vanilla.
Harmful to health
Vape pens are e-cigarettes. In recent years, this alternative to smoking has been put on the market in all kinds of variants, with or without nicotine, sees physician-epidemiologist Esther Croes of the Trimbos Institute.
“Vape pens often contain nicotine, the substance that makes smoking so addictive. In the narrow, long disposable sticks that we see today, the nicotine is present in the form of nicotine salts. Nicotine can disrupt brain development in young children.” , she explains. “And the younger a child starts using nicotine, the faster an addiction develops. At primary school age, a few puffs are enough to develop a nicotine addiction.”
Stepping stone to normal smoking
“In addition, these salts are even more addictive for young children than regular nicotine because the salts burn less hard in your throat. Children don’t like that blow to your throat yet, as many smokers would describe the nicotine kick and the vape pen does not have that. “
By getting used to the nicotine salts, the vape pen could be a stepping stone to ‘real’ smoking, the doctor-epidemiologist thinks. “In addition to nicotine, children also get used to the habit of blowing smoke out of their mouths.”
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