Horror as child sits on a bus vaping while sat next to a mother (Image: TIKTOK)
A video of a child appearing to vape on a bus while sitting next to his mother has prompted public outrage.
Footage recorded by a member of the public and posted online has shown the tot travelling alongside his mum with a vape pen in hand.
He is seen taking several puffs from the device while aboard the Edinburgh Lothian Bus, which is believed to have been moving through the city's Wester Hailes area at the time.
The video appears to show the mum browsing her phone, while the seemingly nursery-aged child vapes.
EdinburghLive has reported that the shocking scene has since attracted significant attention, with close to 100,000 people having viewed the clip online.
READ MORE: Urgent warning issued as new study links vaping to bronchitis
The video first appeared on Facebook, where it gained traction before it was shared on TikTok. Since then, it has attracted 80,000 views and more than 5,000 likes and left people gobsmacked.
Startled users were quick to voice their disapproval of the mother in the comments. One commenter said: "How can you even think it's acceptable to let this happen."
And another user added: "This has made me feel sick." A witness told the Daily Record they were "absolutely furious" at the sight and reported the incident to the authorities.
The mother was also reportedly confronted by another passenger, after which she offered an unusual explanation for her apparent lack of attention to her child.
She is said to have claimed she didn't notice her son was vaping as she "had a cold" and "couldn't smell" the fumes.
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Vaping laws in Scotland are controlled by the Scottish Parliament, which passed legislation in 2016 prohibiting their usage to those aged 18 and over.
But underage users remain an issue in the home nation, with one study finding that 24 percent of 13 to 14-year-olds reported having used an e-cigarette.
Additional investigations have found that some shops have willingly sold the cigarettes to underage users.
Any shops caught selling tobacco or vaping products to under-18s may be issued fixed penalty notices, banned from selling products, or have their alcohol licences revoked.
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