Fake vapes for young people: Police sound the alarm in Worms!

Fake vapes for young people: Police sound the alarm in Worms!

In Worms, compliance with youth protection guidelines is currently under close observation. The police recently carried out test purchases to control the sale of age-restricted products. Of the 24 stores tested, only seven complied with legal requirements. This worries not only investigators, but also health authorities, given the increasing use of nicotine products among young people.

A shop in the city center was particularly noticeable: test buyers were sold vapes with excessive nicotine content and without a tax stamp. During a subsequent search, untaxed tobacco products and counterfeit headphones were also discovered in the walls of the store. The owner now faces charges as police continue to check petrol stations and supermarkets to stop the sale of products to minors, including hard alcohol. Loud tagesschau.de Such controls have become increasingly important, particularly given alarming trends in substance use among young people.

Nicotine products on the rise

Some studies show that the situation is more serious than expected. Recent surveys report that the consumption of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among children and young people is steadily increasing in Germany. According to a research team from the German Society for Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP), online trading is particularly worrying: there were no age checks at all when randomly ordering nicotine pouches via German-language websites. All 16 orders went through without any problems and show how easily young people can have access to products that are harmful to their health. This sheds a worrying light on existing child protection measures, which, according to... aerzteblatt.de In practice they often do not work sufficiently.

The risk of addiction to nicotine is greatly increased among young people. It is also worrying that one in seven students aged 16 to 17 have now consumed nicotine pouches. Not only are e-cigarettes becoming popular, but increasingly the consumption of nicotine pouches, which have a high nicotine concentration. DGP President Christian Taube in particular is sounding the alarm and warning of the emergence of a new generation of addicts.

Alcohol consumption in adolescence

In addition to the problems with nicotine products, a WHO report shows that alcohol consumption among young people in Europe is also reaching alarming levels. Over 50 percent of 15-year-olds surveyed have consumed alcohol, and 32 percent were found to have smoked e-cigarettes. Gender differences in substance use are increasingly narrowing, representing a new dimension of challenge. WHO strongly recommends prevention strategies to combat substance use among adolescents.

It is clear to those responsible that there is a need for action here. Increasing excise taxes and tightening restrictions on the availability of nicotine and tobacco products are seen as essential steps to counter the alarming trend. “There is something going on,” one might say, when it comes to protecting the health of our young people. It remains to be seen what measures will ultimately be taken to ensure long-term public health.