Vaping
Vaping is the act of inhaling nicotine as a water-based vapour rather than smoke. This vapour is created by an electronic cigarette or another vaping device. While it is less harmful than smoking, vaping is not risk-free.
Read more facts on vaping at ash.org.uk or watch the video below:
Vaping to quit smoking
Vaping and e-cigarettes can be a particularly helpful way to stop smoking tobacco especially when combined with a specialist face to face support. Although experts say they are not entirely risk free, they are at least 95% less harmful than tobacco. You can read more about vaping and its associated risks in PHE’s report on e-cigarettes and The UK Health Security Agency’s blog on vaping myths.
Also see: Using e-cigarettes to stop smoking - NHS.
Vaping in young people
The Vaping Products Act 2024 will introduce, for the first time, legal controls on the sale and display of all types of vaping products. These controls will come into effect in two stages:
- From Monday 27 May 2024, it will be illegal to sell or supply vaping products to persons under 18, or persons acting as an agent for a person under 18
- From Sunday 1 September 2024, it will be illegal to display or advertise vaping products to a person under 18 in places, such as shops, where vaping products are sold
To find out more about what these changes will mean for you, read our Questions and Answers.
UK evidence shows that vaping in young people is growing, with 15.8% of 11–17-year-olds having tried vaping in 2022, a significant increase compared to 3.8% in 2013. A further increase in young people vaping has been reported in the UK in 2023 with 20.5% of 11 – 17 year olds having tried vaping. While there is no specific data for the Isle of Man, the assumption is that vaping in young people in the Island is also on the rise and engagement with teenagers in the Isle of Man shows that we have a high prevalence of young people who vape.
Smoking is much more harmful than vaping. Tobacco smoke contains carbon monoxide and tar, a sticky soup of around 250 toxic chemicals, 69 of which are known to be carcinogenic, causing disease, disability, and early death.
However, vapes are not harmless and there are public health concerns as to the potential long-term health risks of vaping for our young people.
If you are concerned about a young person who is vaping, read Vaping and e-cigarettes: the facts for parents and carers - ASH.
Nicotine replacement therapy is available to assist with quitting vaping. Speak to your GP for more information and for advice on quitting.
For further reading on vaping and young people from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) visit the ‘downloadable documents’ and ‘Related Links’ section of this page.
Page updated: May 2024
