Six in 10 children believe vaping 'at least as harmful as smoking'

A growing number of children believe vaping is at least as harmful as smoking, a major study has revealed.

The latest Action on Smoking Health (Ash) report found 58 per cent of 2,349 children aged 11 to 17 held this view, compared with 50 per cent of 13,266 adults polled.

The UK study highlights a significant shift in attitudes to vaping among the younger generation, amid concerns that e-cigarette companies have aimed their products at children.

A similar 2013 report by Ash, a public health charity established by the Royal College of Physicians, found only 13 per cent of the 11 to 17 age group thought vaping posed the same or greater risks than traditional tobacco use.

This year's Ash results are similar to a recent Ipsos global assessment of smokers, which found three quarters of respondents viewed vaping to be as dangerous as cigarettes.

Attitudes appear to be changing in hospitals, with regular vapers asking for help to quit, say doctors. Specialises in lung conditions said methods for stopping vaping are similar to those used for quitting tobacco, and rely on willpower with an understanding of the harmful effects and long-term damage.

Dr Mahshan Kalpaka Muhammed, a specialist in pulmonology at Burjeel Royal Hospital, Asharej, said there has been widespread misunderstanding around the safety of vaping, which is now beginning to change.

He said people viewed vaping as “a bridge to stop smoking, which is completely a wrong thing to assume”.

“E-cigarettes are still only around a decade old, so we are still learning about the impact on health,” he added. “Vaping is much more addictive than smoking, as the nicotine is so pure, it hits the brain directly.

“That fruity wave may not have the bad smell associated with cigarettes, but it has been mixed up with hundreds of chemicals, which we know are going to be associated with cancer, for sure.”

Nicotine therapy

Traditional aids for quitting tobacco, such as nicotine replacement therapy, can be used to help vapers kick the habit. Tablets placed under the tongue, or pouches tucked between the upper lip and gum to slowly release nicotine, patches with a similar effect, and gum are among the tried and tested methods.

Nicotine-free inhalers are also entering the market. “Devices that replicate the hand to mouth repetition of smoking or vaping are quite interesting, but there is not yet enough data to support their use,” said Dr Muhammed.

“Willpower is the most important factor in wanting to quit. I've seen associated lung injury specifically related to vaping, and more of these cases in our clinics.”

Dr Muhammed said he treated regular users of e-cigarettes for pneumomediastinum, a condition where the lungs rupture and air begins to escape.

Although Britain recorded the highest number of e-cigarette users in 2024, around 11 per cent of the adult population according to a joint Ash and YouGov survey, the number of young people taking up vapes has stabilised.

Vaping rates among 11 to 17 year-olds were recorded at 7.6 per cent – the same figure as in 2023.

Online advertising

Pollsters found one in five young people do not notice vape promotions; that figure was almost a third in 2022.

Online advertising was the most likely promotion to cut through to young people, through TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat.

To tackle youth vaping, the UK government proposed a ban on all disposable vapes by April 1, 2025, although rechargeable and refillable vapes will remain on sale.

In the US, where some two million young people are believed to now use e-cigarettes, a text messaging programme is helping teenagers give up vapes.

The anonymous, interactive network supports the young person with feedback and quitting tips along their cessation journey.

According to Dr Amanda Graham, chief health officer of the non-profit Truth Initiative that promotes anti-nicotine initiatives, more than 780,000 13 to 24 year-olds have signed up.

The programme delivers proven behaviour-changing techniques, tailored to the user and delivered by text message. About 38 per cent of those enrolled quit vaping altogether, Dr Graham said.

Kicking the habit

Zayed Al Mazroui, 32, an Emirati business owner in Abu Dhabi, was smoking a pack of 20 cigarettes every two days before moving to vaping.

“The way I tried to quit cigarettes the first time was to move towards vaping,” Mr Mazroui said.

“It got to the point where it was easier to vape than to smoke a cigarette, but I felt like I was vaping more than I was smoking so my nicotine intake probably went up during that time. My lungs were getting tired and I picked up a lung infection.”

When Mr Al Mazroui turned to nicotine replacement products, he found he could quit cigarettes and vapes altogether.

“I moved on to nicotine pouches, the ones you put in your mouth,” he said. “I leaned back into smoking a bit, but I kind of weaned off using nicotine pouches. Now I'm completely off cigarettes, and vapes.

“I feel a lot healthier and my lung capacity is a lot better. I don't feel [short] of breath when I walk up the stairs, and I can walk and run for longer. Generally I just feel healthier.”

In 2022, researchers from Dubai’s Maudsley Health and Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK found a quarter of students in the UAE used vapes.

However, Dr Raiza Hameed, a specialist in pulmonology at Aster Clinic, Bur Dubai, said more people were beginning to recognise the harmful impact of vaping, and asking for help.

“We are seeing a changing attitude towards e-cigarettes and vaping,” said Dr Hameed. “Nowadays, when people come to the clinic, they have an idea that vaping is not safe.

“People want to quit, so we help show them how to proceed. First and foremost, the important thing is making them realise it's not safe, but harmful and not a method to quit smoking.”