SHOCKING footage posted on social media has revealed the moment a baby is given a vape to inhale by his laughing mum.
In the clips, which have left social media users enraged, the woman is seen putting the device into her child’s mouth.
9 NewsThe footage shows the woman giving her young baby a vape[/caption]
She can be heard asking the little boy if he ‘wants to try’ before pushing it into his mouth9 News
She is heard asking the baby boy if he ‘wants to try’ the vape before forcing it into his mouth.
One clip shows the child moving its head away from the e-cigarette, while another shows him inhaling, with vapour pouring from his mouth.
Social media users condemned the mum for giving her child the product.
But she hit back at other users, claiming people “needed to look in their own backyard” before criticising her.
One user commented that the situation was “so sad”, while another branded the mum “disgusting”.
The child is believed to be just 10-months-old and police in Kempsey, Australia are investigating the incident, 9News reported.
No arrests have yet been made and in a statement, the NSW Police department said “enquiries were still ongoing”, with the child having been taken to hospital to be checked over.
Vapes have become popular in recent years and are recognised by health professionals as effective tools to help people stop smoking – they should never be given to children.
The NHS states: “They are not recommended for non-smokers and cannot be sold to people under 18 years old.”
In the UK, e-cigarettes are tightly regulated for safety and quality.
The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at a much lower level, guidance states.
While e-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, they are not harmless – and that is especially true for people under the age of 18.
“It is especially important to protect young lungs and brains. That’s why there’s a minimum age of sale for vaping products in the UK,” guidance states.
Some vapes contain nicotine, which is more risky for young people as the NHS states evidence suggests the brain in adolescence is more sensitive to its effects.
Alongside this, experts have previously warned over the dangers of ‘popcorn lung’.
A case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealed a 17-year-old developed the form of bronchiolitis after vaping.
It’s not always caused by vaping, but it is linked to chemical flavouring diacetyl found in electronic cigarettes.
It’s an uncommon type of incurable lung disease caused by a build-up of scar tissue in the lungs, which blocks the flow of air.
It can be caused by a number of different things such as infections that damage the lungs or chemicals that irritate the lungs, Cancer Research UK states.
According to a Harvard University in 2016, there is a direct link between diacetyl in e-cigarettes and “popcorn lung”.
In 2019, doctors warned against lung injuries being caused by vape pens.
Just last month, a study by Canadian researchers found that popular vapes damage your lungs in the same way as cigarettes do.
Medics found exposure to vapour from Juul e-cigarettes alter the cells in lungs.
While the worst effects were found in prolonged exposure, even low levels had significant impacts, the team said.
Dr Carolyn Baglole, of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, said the study suggests vaping could lead to lung damage in the long-term.
A separate study published in 2022 found that the devices could cause deadly effects on the heart and blood vessels.
Research, published in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology journal found that vaping causes as much damage to the blood vessels as smoking tobacco.
9 NewsThe baby coughs and splutters before puffing out vapours from the device[/caption] Read More