Rise in teenage vaping
- Results from an NHS Digital survey has found one in five school children used e-cigarettes in 2021.
- Among the 11 to 15 year olds surveyed, 9% said they vaped, which is up from 6% in 2018.
- Doctors believe children are being targeted by e-cigarette companies, with bright packaging and exotic flavours.
- However, the percentage of teenagers using drugs and smoking cigarettes fell between 2018 and 2021.
- Read more about this survey on the BBC’s website.
Cryptocurrency scam warning issued by ombudsman
- People are being warned not to be tempted by fake investments including cryptocurrency scams as the cost-of-living
- The Financial Ombudsman Service has been receiving a growing number of investment scam complaints.
- The scams tend to involve someone being persuaded to buy cryptocurrency through legitimate means, then being asked to send it to scammers.
- You can find out more on the Belfast Telegraph’s website.
Thomas and friends announce first autistic character
- Children’s television show Thomas and Friends have announced the introduction of their first autistic character, Bruno the Brake Car.
- Elliott Garcia, the nine-year-old autistic actor who will voice the new character, says Bruno “can get really overwhelmed, he can get worried and uses comedy to get past situations.”
- The National Autistic Society has said “it is important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens, because there are 160,000 school-age autistic children in the UK”.
- Read more on the Independent’s website.
