Support services for young individuals addicted to vaping are being integrated into NHS facilities nationwide. Last year, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool launched the UK’s inaugural clinic specifically designed for 11 to 15-year-olds struggling with e-cigarette addiction. Prof Rachel Isba, the lead physician of the program, is collaborating with other healthcare trusts to assist more teenagers in overcoming their addiction.
Prof Isba stated, “I am currently aiding colleagues throughout the UK in implementing components of the pilot clinic into their routine services to aid children and young individuals post the pilot phase. These services could be embedded in clinical, drug and alcohol, or smoking cessation services. The issue is widely recognized as significant.”
The support provided may encompass nicotine replacement therapy, counseling, and education on health and well-being. Prof Isba, a pediatric public health medicine consultant, intends to encourage pediatricians to discuss vaping during regular check-ups and involve relevant local services like safeguarding when necessary.
This development coincides with the first anniversary of the government’s prohibition on disposable vapes, introduced to safeguard children’s health and mitigate the environmental harm caused by improperly discarded plastic devices and lithium-ion batteries.
However, a year after the ban, there is still uncertainty regarding its impact on youth vaping rates. Research by Material Focus reveals that over six million vapes and pods are discarded weekly in the UK, with a flourishing black market estimated at £6 billion annually.
NHS surveys and data from Action on Smoking and Health indicate that approximately five to nine percent of 11 to 15-year-olds currently vape, alongside 5.4 to 5.6 million adult vapers, constituting about 10 percent of individuals over 18 years old.
Vapers now outnumber traditional cigarette smokers for the first time, with smokers representing around 9.1 percent of the population. The vaping clinic at Alder Hey, initially funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, aimed to explore strategies for supporting vaping cessation among young individuals. While the pilot has concluded, the hospital is exploring future funding avenues.