Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Young non-smokers told not to take up vaping by experts

Young non-smokers told not to take up vaping by experts

Young non-smokers are being advised not to take up vaping.

Researchers looked at the evidence and say while vaping is far safer than cigarettes, the long-term effects of vapes are still unknown.

Vaping causes less exposure to harmful toxins than smoking, say the experts, who were tasked by the government with looking at the issue.

In recent years there's been a rise in vaping, particularly in young people.

A recent survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found vaping in people aged 11-18 had doubled from 4% in 2020 to 8.6% in 2022.

However, smoking figures for the same age-group had gone down slightly from 6.7% in 2020 to 6.0% in 2022.

Overall, there are believed to be around six million smokers in England, and nearly four million vapers.

The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience team were commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care to undertake the biggest review of its kind on vaping in England.

The findings confirm:

*  Cigarettes are dangerous because they contain toxicants, which are found in tobacco smoke and promote cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular disease

*  Vaping products, including disposable e-cigarettes and reusable kits still contain nicotine, which is advertised on packaging due to its addictive nature

*  There is no significant evidence that short-term and medium-term vaping causes health problems, but the long-term effects are unknown

Lead author of the study, Prof Ann McNeill, who specialises in tobacco addiction, said vaping is "very unlikely to be risk-free" as the continual inhaling of vape fluid into the lungs would have some effect.

"We strongly discourage anyone who has never smoked from taking up vaping or smoking," she said.

The researchers say more needs to be done to stop children from taking up vaping.

Part of the study found that local authority trading standards efforts "have been scaled down, and compliance with regulations is not enough to prevent underage sales and access to illicit products".

Disposable single-use vaping products like elf and geek bars are more popular with young people, but did not form a major part of this study.

The researchers added that "more frequent surveillance of single-use disposable vaping products" is now needed.

The popularity of disposable vapes in young people has been linked to social media, with TikToks of people trying out new flavours of vapes or using them as a fashion accessory being blamed.

The bars, which can often be bought in corner shops or off-licences, can cost around £5.


Different flavours


Chloe Harvatt is 23 and has been using disposable vapes for around a year.

"I'm vaping a full bar every day, whereas before I would smoke around five or six cigarettes a day.

"I can get through seven, maybe eight, disposables a week," she told the BBC.

Chloe says she's "never had an addiction so bad" and doesn't go more than an hour without vaping, and often falls asleep at night with a vape in her hand.

"My vape is constantly in my mouth so I'm getting nicotine rushes and if I can't find it I end up having a panic attack."

She says she always keeps several in the house and likes to try out all the different flavours: "The taste is brilliant compared to cigarettes."

Chloe says she worries about the longer-term effects of vaping: "The thing that scares me the most is that there isn't enough research on the long-term effects they are going to have on us - I'm terrified".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×