Claire Reid
Experts have issued a warning over a bizarre and dangerous ‘vapemas’ Christmas trend.
We’ve got less than two weeks until 25 December so most of us have kitted out our homes in preparation.
For the majority of Brits, this means putting up a tree, hanging a bit of tinsel and trying not to lose your temper with a set of fairy lights that you can’t get to work.
But some TikTok users are snubbing the traditional baubles and bows, and opting for a more unconventional trend instead.
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However, experts have warned those who fancy giving ‘vapemas’ a try to think again, because it could have dangerous results - and no one fancies more hassle than necessary at Christmas, do they?
In a weird trend on social media, people have been seen adorning their trees with empty disposable vapes. I’m sure there’s an Elf/Elf Bar joke in there somewhere, but I’m not going to be the one to make it.
A tree packed with disposable vapes might not be to everyone’s taste, but the trend appears to be gathering pace online with some fans saying they ‘love it’ and describing one such tree as ‘actually kinda beautiful’ and a ‘masterpiece’. I mean, I can’t see it personally, but each to their own.
Aside from the questionable aesthetic value, vapers have been warned that the trend can be extremely dangerous by expert Stuart Stevenson, from Vapour Depot.
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Speaking to the Mirror he urged people to give making their own ‘vapetree’ a miss.
"While these videos show unique ways to reuse disposable devices, they fail to address the potential fire hazard," he said.
"Disposable vapes contain lithium-ion batteries, and any compromise to these batteries could lead to a significant fire risk.”
He went on to point out that placing the vapes on the tree could cause damage to them, which in turn raises the risk of a malfunction.
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He added: "The flammable nature of the materials used in vaping disposables, combined with the dryness of Christmas trees, creates an environment conducive to rapid fire spread.
"Adopting this hack could accelerate the spread of a fire in your home, posing a danger to everyone inside."
Again - not what you want for Christmas, is it?
Stevenson says that once you’ve finished with your disposable vape, the sensible and safe thing to do is find a proper recycling centre to take care of it.