BRIGHTLY packaged disposable vapes, many of them imported, are now being sold openly to school children in uniform, marking a disturbing trend that is fast taking root in Mutare.
A recent investigation by The Manica Post revealed shelves in several shops lined with these e-cigarettes, their candy-like flavours and sleek designs deliberately crafted to entice young buyers.
What may appear to be harmless gadgets are in fact addictive devices that expose children to nicotine at an age when their brains and bodies are still developing.
The growing presence of vapes in schools is, not only a public health concern, but also an educational crisis, threatening to derail the future of a generation by normalising addiction, undermining concentration, and eroding classroom discipline.
Left unchecked, this trend risks creating a culture of dependence among youths, with long-term consequences for their health, wellbeing, and society at large.
The packaging promises anywhere between 800 and 10 000 puffs, a figure that health experts say is not a measure of safety, but a marketing trick designed to lure buyers, especially the young.
When this reporter visited one such outlet posing as a customer, a group of visibly young high school children in uniform hovered near the counter where the vapes were displayed.
The shop attendant, eagerly explained that the cheapest brand, an 800-puff vape retailing for US$5 was “made in Canada, not China,” though she admitted she did not know much about vapes.
“I do not know much about vapes. I just know that we have the US$5 ones that have 800 puffs, the US$10 and US$12 ones that have more puffs, and the puffs get to even 10 000. They are from Canada,” she said.
The investigation also revealed that the shop was not the only shop that sells vapes to anyone including school children.
Various gift shops in the city sell vapes to anyone with no age restrictions, on plain sight in the city.
The Manica Post visited four of the shops selling vapes, and all were ready to sell to anyone, even school children.
In Mutare schools, vaping is quickly becoming the new rebellion.
With flavours like strawberry ice, watermelon blast and cola rush, the devices resemble toys or flash drives, easily concealed in pockets or pencil cases.
Most of the packaging bear unfamiliar foreign brand names, many identical to those listed in the United Kingdom’s forthcoming ban on single-use vapes such as Elf Bar and Lost Mary.
These same devices were phased out in the UK by mid-2025, amid public-health concerns and environmental risks. In Zimbabwe, however, such products remain freely available and alarmingly, unregulated, save for a measure in the 2024 budget where Government announced an excise duty of US$0,50 per millilitre of e-liquid as part of a shift towards controlling vape use.
The Zimbabwe Standards Authority catalogue lists a standard- “ZWS 1121:2024 — E-Vaping products” specifying minimum safety and technical requirements for electronic vaping products and e-liquids. However, there are no clear national policies restricting their sale to minors, no health warnings on most packaging, and no oversight of their chemical composition.
The nation currently has no specific law governing the sale or use of e-cigarettes and vapes, though tobacco products and alcohol are restricted to adults aged over 18.
In an interview, a Mutare medical practitioner, Dr Tendai Zuze said vapes are a cause for concern as they have serious health risks for those who use them.
“E cigarettes and vapes are definitely an emerging public health concern especially in our situation where products are unregulated, and exact contents and concentrations cannot always be ascertained.
“They can cause a wide spectrum of health issues from minor issues like cough, throat irritation, hoarse voice and shortness of breath to serious problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung damage and heavy metal poisoning to everyone who uses them regardless of age,” he said.
He also said using vapes have long term effects like cancers. “More than anything, we are worried about known and unknown long term effects including cancers and chronic lung diseases that could be caused by these vapes,” he said.
In another interview, local psychologist, Ms Sadia Khan of the Manicaland Mental Health Hospital and Rehab Centre, said vaping is already a cause for concern locally.
“Vaping is extremely dangerous, especially for young people whose lungs and brains are still developing. It can interfere with breathing and cognition and very quickly becomes a repetitive, addictive behaviour.
“The young do not realise that most vapes actually contain nicotine, sometimes in higher concentrations than cigarettes. The addiction can take hold fast, and the withdrawal effects can be severe,” she explained.
She noted that the problem is worsened by the unregulated influx of illegal imports.
“Many of the vapes on sale here are not FDA-approved. They may contain heavy metals, toxic chemicals, or even traces of illicit substances. We simply do not know the full health impact yet, especially with long-term use,” she said.
