The long-term health effects of vaping on children is set to be investigated, supporting plans to tackle youth vaping in the UK.
The £62 million research project into adolescent health – funded by UK Research and Innovation – will track 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years over a decade. The team will collect data on behaviour, biology and health records to understand what affects young people’s health, including the impact of vaping.
Statistics show that one quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds have tried vaping.
The study will run alongside the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to tackle youth vaping by limiting flavours, packaging and displays.
It is one of three sets of research being commissioned by the government, complementing the launch of England’s first ever public health marketing campaign to educate children on vaping harms.
Called Love Your Lungs, the campaign draws attention to the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction, highlighting that with their lungs and brains still developing, young people are more vulnerable.
Aimed at 13 to 18-year-olds, the campaign will roll out primarily on social media, using influencers to speak directly to its younger audience.
Under separate environmental legislation, from 1 June 2025 disposable vapes will be banned, reducing their availability.
Vaping campaign to protect future
Minister for public health and prevention Ashley Dalton said: ‘We know that vaping can be a useful tool to quit smoking, but it’s crucial we have clear evidence on the long-term health harms, especially for young people.
‘This landmark series of studies, combined with our first nationwide youth vaping campaign, will help drive evidence-based, decisive action to protect our children’s future.
‘Through bold preventative measures, such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, this government will deliver on our Plan for Change to build healthier lives and save our broken NHS.’
New research suggests that the most effective way to quit vaping depends on your age. The Oxford University review assessed the benefits and harms of interventions to help people stop vaping compared to each other, and compared to no intervention.
For those aged 13 to 24, the team said support via motivational text messages were the most effective method.
Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce is senior author of the study and assistant professor of health policy and management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
‘This is an area of research that is in its infancy, but is growing rapidly and organically from people who vape asking about help to quit vaping,’ he said.
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