Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Sep 06, 2025

Young non-smokers told not to take up vaping by experts

Young non-smokers told not to take up vaping by experts

Young non-smokers are being advised not to take up vaping.

Researchers looked at the evidence and say while vaping is far safer than cigarettes, the long-term effects of vapes are still unknown.

Vaping causes less exposure to harmful toxins than smoking, say the experts, who were tasked by the government with looking at the issue.

In recent years there's been a rise in vaping, particularly in young people.

A recent survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found vaping in people aged 11-18 had doubled from 4% in 2020 to 8.6% in 2022.

However, smoking figures for the same age-group had gone down slightly from 6.7% in 2020 to 6.0% in 2022.

Overall, there are believed to be around six million smokers in England, and nearly four million vapers.

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience team were commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care to undertake the biggest review of its kind on vaping in England.

The findings confirm:

*  Cigarettes are dangerous because they contain toxicants, which are found in tobacco smoke and promote cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular disease

*  Vaping products, including disposable e-cigarettes and reusable kits still contain nicotine, which is advertised on packaging due to its addictive nature

*  There is no significant evidence that short-term and medium-term vaping causes health problems, but the long-term effects are unknown

Lead author of the study, Prof Ann McNeill, who specialises in tobacco addiction, said vaping is "very unlikely to be risk-free" as the continual inhaling of vape fluid into the lungs would have some effect.

"We strongly discourage anyone who has never smoked from taking up vaping or smoking," she said.

The researchers say more needs to be done to stop children from taking up vaping.

Part of the study found that local authority trading standards efforts "have been scaled down, and compliance with regulations is not enough to prevent underage sales and access to illicit products".

Disposable single-use vaping products like elf and geek bars are more popular with young people, but did not form a major part of this study.

The researchers added that "more frequent surveillance of single-use disposable vaping products" is now needed.

The popularity of disposable vapes in young people has been linked to social media, with TikToks of people trying out new flavours of vapes or using them as a fashion accessory being blamed.

The bars, which can often be bought in corner shops or off-licences, can cost around £5.


Different flavours


Chloe Harvatt is 23 and has been using disposable vapes for around a year.

"I'm vaping a full bar every day, whereas before I would smoke around five or six cigarettes a day.

"I can get through seven, maybe eight, disposables a week," she told the BBC.

Chloe says she's "never had an addiction so bad" and doesn't go more than an hour without vaping, and often falls asleep at night with a vape in her hand.

"My vape is constantly in my mouth so I'm getting nicotine rushes and if I can't find it I end up having a panic attack."

She says she always keeps several in the house and likes to try out all the different flavours: "The taste is brilliant compared to cigarettes."

Chloe says she worries about the longer-term effects of vaping: "The thing that scares me the most is that there isn't enough research on the long-term effects they are going to have on us - I'm terrified".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Brand-New $1 Million Yacht Sinks Just Fifteen Minutes After Maiden Launch in Turkey
Here’s What the FBI Seized in John Bolton Raid — and the Legal Risks He Faces
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Queen Camilla’s Teenage Courage: Fended Off Attempted Assault on London Train, New Biography Reveals
Scottish Brothers Set Record in Historic Pacific Row
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
×