Doctors have written to the First Minister calling for a crackdown on the selling of E-cigarettes  - also known as 'vapes'.

The experts in child and respiratory health in Scotland warn of a vaping 'epidemic' among the young, and say the products should follow rules covering cigarettes - and be sold in plain packaging and hidden from view.

The medics want the First Minister to take action to protect children and young people from lung damage in the future.

It is illegal to sell vaping products to under-18s in Scotland, but the latest statistics indicate that 10 per cent of 15-year-olds in Scotland are now using e-cigarettes regularly compared to 3% in 2018.

Surveys have also shown that use of e-cigarettes is most popular among young people aged 25 to 34.

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Shops across Scotland fined for selling vapes to underage youth

Plain packaging call over teenage 'vaping epidemic'

Hundreds of vapes confiscated in Scottish schools

It comes after recent NHS figures revealed that 40 people under 20 had been admitted to hospitals in England last year for "vaping-related disorders", up from 11 in 2020.

These included breathlessness and suspected lung damage.

Australia has reported its first rise in youth smoking rates in 25 years, with youngsters who vape more likely to take up cigarettes.