Copyright birminghammail
Families have been issued a stark warning after a 17-year-old teenager was left coughing up blood in an attempt to 'fit in' with his peers. In a plea to parents nationwide, mums and dads are being urged to remain alert and discuss the risks of vaping with their children. This comes as recent statistics reveal that approximately 7% of children aged between 11 and 17 in UK currently vape, equating to roughly 400,000 youngsters, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). For a while now, doctors and health authorities across the country have been voicing concerns about the dangers vaping poses to children. A significant concern is the widespread availability of illegal and counterfeit vaping devices, which often fall short of safety standards. Trading Standards has confiscated more than a million illicit vapes in just one year. Officers state that these illegal products, along with underage sales, are among their biggest concerns on the high street. Many young people resort to these unregulated sources because responsible sellers enforce strict policies against selling to minors and always require ID checks. The repercussions of vaping, particularly with illegal or high-nicotine products, can be severe, reports the Mirror . Recently, a 17-year-old named Jayden Richardson, who began vaping at the age of 12, suffered severe lung damage and coughed up "pint-loads" of blood - a condition doctors directly attributed to excessive vaping. Following her son's terrifying experience, his mum, Elita Richardson, has issued a stark warning to parents, stating that people don't anticipate something this serious happening to them. Jayden Richardson, from Shifnal, Shropshire, admits he started using e-cigarettes at 12 "to fit in". By the time he was 17, he was consuming "one 10ml bottle of vape juice every two to three days," which his family says is the same as around 50 cigarettes a day. He remembers being "terrified" on the last morning of a family holiday in Turkey in August 2024 when his habit triggered a 'frightening' symptom. "I woke up the next morning, had a quick go on my vape and just as if I had a bit of a chesty cough... I went to cough a few times... I saw that it was blood, and this put me in shock," he said. What started as "little bits" quickly escalated. After Jayden "got into the swimming pool", he says he began "coughing up loads of blood into my hands." He was assisted out and hurried to a bathroom. Recalling the moment, said: "I'm coughing up pint-loads of blood... It was traumatic... a good 10 minutes of me coughing up pretty heavy blood." He managed to fly home the following day, but after more bleeding at Birmingham Airport , his dad took him straight to the hospital. Jayden's mum, Elita, alleges that initial checks led them astray. "They sent him for lung X-rays. Nothing was showing up... They were then saying, 'is it severe nose bleeds?'" Elita had even wondered if holiday "drinks", "greasy food", and a kebab "every night" were to blame. However, a week later, following a camera examination, she recalls: "The consultant said he's never seen so much lung damage on a kid." She added: "Excessive vaping, that's what they said. It was a shock." Jayden explains that medication and quitting vaping helped stabilise his condition, temporarily. Months afterwards, during his birthday weekend, he confessed: "I ended up having another go on a vape. Stupidly... I thought the damage was done... a few tokes on a vape wouldn't affect me. But I was totally wrong." He recounts sitting in bed, recognising "from the tone of cough" that "it was going to be my blood", and subsequently experiencing "sharp stabbing pain" on the left side. "I would never touch one", he insists now. When questioned about why he initially started, Jayden explained: "Everyone was doing it around me... I felt like it was, kind of, to fit in... Once you start, obviously it's highly addictive, it's hard to stop." He also issues warnings about disposables and counterfeit devices. "When the disposables were more popular, you don't know what's actually in them," he said. "You find fake ones... They should be banned in every country." In the UK, it's unlawful to sell vapes or e-cigarettes to anyone under 18, and adults who purchase them for youngsters can face fines or prosecution. Trading Standards frequently confiscates illegal and unsafe vaping products from high-street shops, a fact that concerns many families, as this is often how teenagers acquire vapes. There are several conscientious sellers, such as Vape At Door , that adhere to strict policies to prevent underage sales by verifying IDs and declining sales to minors. For most families, the advice is straightforward: maintain open communication with your children, understand the regulations, and be prepared to intervene if you notice any concerning signs. The NHS says: "Vaping is not for children and young people. Their developing lungs and brains mean they are more sensitive to its effects. Nicotine vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it is not risk-free."
