To vape or not to vape, that is the question.

For those young people that enjoy an elf bar or three in the evening, their addictive luxury may be fast approaching an end. After it emerged that 10 per cent of 15 year olds vape, campaigners in Scotland are putting pressure on the Scottish Government to ban vapes from use by young people.

The new research has also revealed that five per cent of 13 year olds say they use vapes more than once a week and areas where use is highest tend to be more deprived parts of the country.

Does this really come as a surprise? These days you’re more likely to come across teens sucking on elf bars than lollipops. The main brands that dominate - Elf Bar, Geek, JUUL et cetera - have become fashion statements, the dizzying spectrum of colours and flavours meaning there’s something for everyone.

And what’s the harm, really? Surely a Blue Razz Lemonade vapour stick is preferable to a deadly habit centred around Marlboro Golds?

The evidence still shows that - unsurprisingly - e-cigarettes are safer for use than actual cigarettes. But that doesn’t mean they come risk-free: vapes contain nicotine, which is the addictive part of a cigarette, meaning it’s easy to get hooked – fast.

Not only that, e-cigarettes contain “e-liquids”, some of which are believed to be toxic. These liquids, “have not been safety tested for inhalation,” advises Sheila Duffy, the chief executive of Ash Scotland, “and [they] could risk damage to growing lungs over time”.

And even more ominously, research has found that those young people who start experimenting with vapes are three times as likely to start smoking cigarettes.

Critics have warned that the tobacco industry recognises the potential for vapes as a gateway substance and are using these to target “future generations of potential consumers”.

What do campaigners want? To see tighter regulations brought in to protect young people from the consequences of e-cigarette use.

This may involve scrutinising vape advertisements, and their promotion, to ensure that these products are being marketed in a responsible way. And the Scottish Government isn’t resistant to the idea, saying it will inform its upcoming Tobacco Action Plan.

So will we soon see those colourful assortment of plastic tubes disappear from our newsagents’ shelves for good, replaced instead by nondescript packaging boasting a lung disease graphic or two? The light-hearted era of vapes appears to be coming to an end. Watch this space.