A woman who is addicted to vaping says e-cigarettes have ruined her life.
Belle Moore, 19, from Bickerstaff, Lancashire, has confessed she has ‘no control over it’ as she has to vape every couple of hours.
She started vaping as a result of peer-pressure from some of her college friends, and she used to hide it from her mum.
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After two unsuccessful attempts to quit, she has since become addicted to cigarettes, too.
“It honestly feels like I have no control over it,” she told the BBC.
Belle said she was able to buy vapes from a shop when she was only 16 - where she wasn’t asked to provide identification - even though she also looked a lot younger than her age.
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It is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18.
“I start to get shaky and it’s almost all I can think of,” she said, describing her addiction.
Belle’s mum Lynne said she hated watching her daughter vape and said a ‘drastic’ change needed to happen.
“I hate that she feels the need to do it, because she’s addicted and it’s so hard for her to stop,” Lynn said.
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“I hate that she’s got to use her hard-earned cash to buy vapes and cigarettes because of the addiction.”
Belle said she’s opening up about her addiction to stop others from facing the same issues.
“I know how much of a struggle it’s been for me,” she said.
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“I have started coughing more and getting sick easier.
“If there’s anyone who is thinking of starting vaping or starting smoking, if they’re younger don’t because it can honestly ruin your life.”
Elle shared her story after public health bosses called on the government to do more to stop young people from vaping.
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Health officials from Merseyside and Cheshire joined forces to call for a country-wide ban on the sale of disposable vapes amid a rapid rise of vaping.
Research published last year found chronic vaping causes the same risk of heart disease as smoking cigarettes.
The research consisted of two studies; the first being conducted on mice and the other on humans.
Both confirmed that vaping causes damage to blood vessels, making people susceptible to cardiovascular disease as much as smoking would, according to the National Institute of Health.
Gregory Robinson