The Rise of Vaping in Young People

The Negative Effects of Vaping

Vaping is on the rise, especially among young people. According to a blog on the UK Government website, ‘the number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years.’ Originally, vaping was supposed to be a way for adults to quit smoking cigarettes, but it was never meant for children and teenagers. Young people’s brains and lungs are still developing, which can worsen the addictive effects of nicotine and make it harder to quit. Children who are addicted to vaping can experience negative effects, such as poor concentration, anxiety, trouble sleeping, impulse control and mood swings. When young people become addicted to nicotine whilst their brains are developing, they are more likely to struggle with other addictions in the future. Young people who vape are also more likely to start smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products, according to a ScienceDirect Article, ‘teenager vapers were three to five times more likely to take up tobacco smoking when compared with non-vapers.’ For more in-depth facts and statistics on the effects of vaping, check out this article by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).    

Illegal Vapes

An argument in favour of vaping is that it is better than smoking, while we assume this to be true, nobody knows the long-term effects of vaping yet. What we do know is that vapes not only contain nicotine, but other harmful substances as well. The harmful substances found in vapes can be illegal and do not meet UK Safety Standards. According to an investigation by the University of Bath, out of almost 600 vapes that were confiscated in schools across England, 1 in 6 contained the drug Spice and 1 in 100 contained the drug THC. Spice is a synthetic cannabinoid, a drug made in a lab to recreate the effects of cannabis however, Spice is more harmful, unpredictable and dangerous to children. You can read more about Spice in vapes in this BBC Article. Illegal vapes are a big concern at the moment, these vapes are unregulated and the most harmful. These illegal vapes cannot be sold in reputable vape shops and because of this, underage children are more likely to be sold illegal vapes. Vapes that are illegal are likely to contain more nicotine, the legal amount of nicotine in a disposable vape is 20mg/ml or 2%, anything above this is illegal. Disposable vapes that provide more than 600 puffs or more than 2ml of E-liquid are likely illegal. This Article has more in-depth information on how to spot the differences between legal and illegal vapes.

What is The UK Government Doing to Prevent Vaping?

In 2023, one in four 11-15 year-olds tried vaping, this number has more than doubled in the last 5 years according to the UK Government. Many people believe that the vast array of flavours, clever marketing, colourful packaging, and design have contributed to the appeal of vaping to young people. Currently, the UK Government is trying to enforce new laws to crack down on young people vaping. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill introduced in 2023, aims to stop tobacco products, such as vapes, being sold to children under the age of fifteen. Overall, the aim is to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ of young people, the government plans to offer stricter fines on shops selling tobacco products to underage children as well as restricting the flavours and packaging of vapes. Currently, one of the biggest issues is shops selling vapes to underage children, according to a BBC Article, secondary school children reported that vapes are really easy to get hold of and a lot of shops don’t ask for ID.

How We Are Trying to Prevent Vaping

At Employability Solutions, we proactively try to deter our young people from vaping, while respecting that they have to make their own choices. In our schools, we do not allow vapes and ask that our young people hand them in when they arrive and after breaks and lunch. We have tried to implement other distractions from vaping, including using Breathing Necklaces to try and break the habit of using a vape. A Breathing Necklace is a similar shape to a vape and allows you to complete breathing exercises, the action of breathing into this can be used to replace the action of vaping, you can buy them online here. To encourage our young people to stop, we try to offer a small reward for trying out the Breathing Necklaces, or any other method to help them quit. We also actively encourage activities involving your hands, such as drawing and exercise.    

Getting Help to Quit Vaping

When trying to quit vaping, young people will experience negative side effects from nicotine withdrawal, which can make it harder to quit. Withdrawal side effects can include feeling hungry, restless, moody and irritable, having headaches and trouble sleeping or concentrating. The first few days without nicotine will be the hardest, but after the first couple of weeks, it should get a lot easier. There are other things you can do to help cope with nicotine withdrawal and break the habit of vaping, including:

• Chewing gum or drinking water to help with the habit of vaping
• Keeping your hands busy with something like drawing or painting
• Exercise such as walking, jogging or yoga
• Call or hang out with supportive friends or family who can help to distract you
• Write down a list of reasons in your phone why you would like to stop vaping and look at this when you feel the urge
• Try to avoid places where people will be smoking or vaping if you can
• Get rid of any vapes/vaping equipment you have to try and cut the urge

Quitting smoking or vaping is hard, but there are resources out there designed to help you quit:

Visit the NHS website for local services and resources to help you quit. Smokefree Liverpool is a local service to get help in Liverpool. Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool also recently set up a service to help young people aged 11-16 quit vaping. Stop Smoking | Kirklees Wellness Service allows you to find local drop-in sessions to talk to a professional about quitting, around Kirklees.