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Vancouver health officials say they are concerned about a rise in the number of youth who use vaping products.

In a news release Thursday, Vancouver Coastal Health said over the past few years there has been an alarming spike in the number of youth who, enticed by fruit and candy flavours, use vaping products.

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The warning comes ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Friday.

Results of the 2018 B.C. Adolescent Health Survey found 21 per cent of B.C. students had vaped with nicotine in the month before the study, VCH said.

It also noted that the Canadian Student Tobacco, Alcohol and Drugs Survey from 2016-17 found that 15 per cent of students in grades 10 to 12 used a vaping product in the past month, up 64 per cent from the previous year.

The health authority said it is concerned that youth who use e-cigarettes could start smoking regular cigarettes. Health officials also say that the long-term effects of vaping nicotine are unknown.