Stop Fearmongering About Vapes, Health Expert Says

The well-known benefits of vaping in helping people quit smoking have been backed by the NHS and other bodies. Yet despite the benefits vape supplies can bring, to see some media coverage, one might imagine a major new health crisis is on the way.

Never mind the benefits for adults quitting cigarettes, goes the narrative, look at all the surveys showing a rising number of teenagers taking up vaping, some of whom have never smoked a cigarette. This has been confirmed by a new NHS study, with the increase more pronounced among girls. All this is despite buying vapes being illegal for under-18s, either online or in a shop.

However, the situation is nowhere near as bad as some claim, according to Ian Hamilton, a senior lecturer in addiction and mental health at the University of York. Writing for The Independent, he said claims that vaping will act as a ‘gateway drug’ that will lead to teenagers eventually smoking is not supported by the evidence, just as similar claims for other substances have proven unfounded.

He also said the real problem lies in the lack of law enforcement in preventing stores from illegally selling vaping products to under-18s. He cited a study by the lobby group Action on Smoking and Health published in July showing that 47 per cent of those aged 11-17 who have used vapes obtained them in a shop. 

This point was backed up by the NHS study, which suggested an even higher figure of 57 per cent of young vapers finding their supplies in shops, up from 29 per cent just three years ago.

At the same time, the NHS study found that the numbers of young people smoking and taking drugs had fallen, which may suggest that, while vaping is illegal for youngsters, it is hardly the case that an otherwise squeaky-clean health conscious generation is suddenly turning into addicts. 

This all suggests that rather than wrongly claiming young vapers will become tomorrow’s smokers, it is better to focus on how vaping is helping erstwhile smokers give up.