Background:
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There has been a significant rise in e-cigarette use among children and young people (CYPs) in the UK over the past five years. According to a recent Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) survey, the number of children (11-17) using e-cigarettes – or vapes – has tripled in the past 3 years, with 18% of children reporting having tried vaping between March – April 2024. This is the equivalent of 980,000 children, of which around 39% report no previous experience of smoking cigarettes. In light of these figures, are e-cigarettes still the most effective tool to help smokers quit? Or have they become a damaging and addictive lifestyle choice for the country’s youth? |
The harms around vaping for children and adolescents
Whilst the evidence for the use of e-cigarettes as an effective smoking cessation tool for adults is well grounded, the research and data around widespread e-cigarette use amongst children and adolescents is still very much in its infancy.
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The increasing appeal of vaping among young people is being fuelled by successful marketing strategies, colorful packaging, sweet-shop style flavours (such as ‘bubblegum’ and ‘cotton candy’), alongside targeted social media campaigns on platforms such as TikTok. The ease with which vape products can be purchased – particularly single-use disposables – has also had an impact. According to a recent government survey, there is ‘… increasing evidence of poor compliance with UK restrictions on the sale of vapes to under 18s’, with 32% of respondents stating that CYPs were buying vapes in corner shops and convenience stores. |
Whilst e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than traditional smoking, they are not risk-free, particularly for young, healthy individuals. The liquids used in vapes contain a wide range of harmful substances, and has led to a rise in ‘vaping-associated lung injury’. They also contain nicotine – a highly addictive substance that can cause significant withdrawal symptoms after only a short period of use. Early exposure to nicotine can affect brain development in adolescents, and there is evidence to suggest it can also lead to poorer academic performance, cognitive impairments later in life, increased risk of mental health issues and lifelong addiction.
A 2019 study of students at a US university found that those who used e-cigarettes were ‘significantly more likely to have mental health histories of ADHD, PTSD, gambling disorder, and anxiety’, and that vaping amongst students with a pre-existing mental health diagnosis are more susceptible to higher levels of stress, depression and substance use.
Government Response
In 2024, the UK government introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill which aims to reduce smoking rates and tackle the rise in youth vaping. A key measure of this bill is the generational smoking ban which will prohibit the sale of tobacco products to individuals born on or after 1st January 2009. This initiative – part of the Smoke-Free Generation Plan – seeks to make smoking obsolete by 2030 (prevalence of 5% or less) by gradually eliminating tobacco sales to younger populations.
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From 1st June 2025, the UK will follow in the footsteps of countries such as Belgium, New Zealand and Australia by banning the sale of disposable vapes. This decision is due, in part, to the significant environmental impact caused by disposable vapes (an estimated 1.3m disposable vapes are thrown away every week in the UK), but the ban will also seek to eliminate the sale of low-cost nicotine products that directly appeal to young people through their use of bright packaging, sweet-shop style flavours and discrete design. |
E-Cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool
Whilst there is a drive towards reducing the number of young people that vape, e-cigarettes are still a vital tool in helping adults quit smoking. E-cigarettes first arrived in the UK about 20yrs ago, and were formally endorsed by Public Health England (PHE) in 2016 as an effective smoking cessation tool. In January 2024, a report into ‘Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation’ by Cochrane Library found that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapies (NRT) in helping people quit smoking, particularly when accompanied by personalised support.
In April 2023, the UK government announced the “Swap to Stop” initiative – a national scheme which aims to provide free vape starter kits to nearly one million smokers in England – alongside tailored smoking cessation interventions – to help them quit smoking. By the end of 2024, many local authorities had signed up to the scheme and now offer adults looking to quit smoking the opportunity to receive free vape kits and support for up to 12 weeks.
How can ILLY help?
The rise of e-cigarette use among children and young people in the UK presents a serious public health challenge. Addressing this issue requires a top-down, multi-faceted approach – from stricter regulations on the promotion and sale of e-cigarettes, to support programmes for young people struggling with nicotine addiction.
Many treatment providers – both Adult and YP – now offer smoking cessation interventions for their clients – whether that’s as part of the ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme, or specific packages of support for CYPs looking to address their dependence on vapes.
At ILLY our mission is to make a meaningful impact across our communities through technology, and supporting services to capture data around smoking cessation is one area where we can help.
Our case management systems and versatile digital tools are adaptable and can help services evidence the good work being done in this area. We would welcome the opportunity to develop our ideas through consultation with our ILLY Community to explore ways in which LINKS CarePath could be utilised to best support service delivery.
Aside from any future system developments, ILLY users can already use the system to record harm reduction interventions, including:
- The distribution of vape starter kits
- Recording CO2 screening results
- Bespoke outcome tools tailored to the needs of the service
As we continue to evolve our processes and tools, we also continue to engage our communities and support them to meet the challenges ahead – we cannot do it on our own.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, please get in touch with our Client Services Team and we’ll be happy to help.
020 4566 5727 
clientservices@illycorp.com