In England, it is illegal to sell e-cigarettes that contain nicotine to under 18’s. Yet it is a ‘trend’ that is increasing. Some startling statistics for England:
2023, 3.7% of young people aged between 11-18 are regularly vaping (ASH)
2022, 24% of young people aged 16-19 reported vaping in the past 30 days (ITC)
54% of young people started vaping ‘just to give is a try’ (ASH)
Other common reasons for vaping include flavoured e-cigarettes, dealing with stress, anxiety and curiosity (ASH)
84% of young people aged 16-19 acknowledged there was some degree of harm associate with daily vaping. 16% of these young people, said they vaped to improve their mental health (ASH)
Most 16-19 year olds did not perceive vaping to be fashionable, but said ‘vapes look cool’ (ITC)
spice in vapes
University of Bath have conducted research which highlights that vapes are being spiked with synthetic cannabis (spice) leading to addiction amongst school children. It is believed spice is being used as it is cheaper to produce than cannabis and is more potent. The children may not even know the vapes contain spice. The BBC states that out of 596 vapes that were confiscated and tested, 1 in 6 contained spice. This is dangerous and life threatening as spice can cause cardiac arrests
government response
In October 2023, a consultation on tackling vaping amongst young people took place and the government has proposed to reduce youth vaping by:
Restricting vape flavours
Regulating vape packaging and product presentation
Regulating point of sale displays
Restricting the sale of disposable vapes
Introducing an age restriction for non-nicotine vapes
Preventing the industry giving out free samples of vapes to children
facts to tell young people about vaping
The NHS have provided facts to share with young people to minimise and help them understand vaping:
Vaping is a way for adults to stop smoking – not something for non-smokers, especially children and young people to try
Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking but that does not mean it is harmless
Vaping exposes users to some toxins and we do not yet know what the risks might be in the longer term
Most vapes contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance that can be hard to stop using once you have started
Nicotine is more risky for young people than adults, as evidence suggest the developing brain is more sensitive to its addictive effects
In the UK, it is against the law to sell nicotine vaping products to under 18’s or for adults to buy them on their behalf
Some disposable vapes on sale are illegal and do not meet UK safety regulations. They can contain high levels of harmful substances.