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 sole pilot clinic catering to 11 to 15-year-olds hooked on e-cigarettes. Professor Rachel Isba, leading the program, is collaborating with other healthcare trusts to assist more teens in overcoming their addiction.
The initiative involves incorporating aspects of the pilot clinic into routine services to aid children and adolescents post-pilot completion. Services may be embedded within clinical, drug and alcohol, or existing smoking cessation services. Nicotine replacement therapy, counseling, and health education could be among the support options. Professor Isba aims to facilitate discussions on vaping during regular check-ups and engage local services like safeguarding as needed.
This development coincides with the one-year anniversary of the government’s prohibition on disposable vapes, introduced to safeguard children’s health and combat environmental harm from discarded plastic devices and batteries. However, the ban’s impact on youth vaping remains unclear, with over six million vapes and pods discarded weekly in the UK. An illicit market valued at approximately £6 billion annually persists.
Current data suggests that around five to nine percent of 11 to 15-year-olds vape, while between 5.4 and 5.6 million adults also engage in vaping, constituting approximately 10% of adults. Vapers now outnumber traditional cigarette smokers for the first time, with the former comprising about 9.1% of the population. The Alder Hey vaping clinic, initially funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, explored vaping cessation strategies for young individuals. Although the pilot has concluded, the hospital is exploring future funding avenues.