Study shows Norfolk youth exposed to illegal vaping online
Researchers at The University of East Anglia highlight social media's impact on young peoples perceptions of vaping
A study from the University of East Anglia (UEA) has highlighted a growing concern over young people seeing content that portrays vaping as funny and harmless on TikTok.
Social media platforms like TikTok make it hard to get factual health advice to young people. With many people glamorising something that's illegal.
This could put young people in Norfolk and across the country, at risk.
Eleanor Bray, a research associate from Norwich Medical School said:
"Anything you see on a regular basis is going to normalise it. The more they're looking at content, the more the algorithm tailors it to what they've been watching. And there's a risk that they could go down this rabbit hole of being fed information that isn't accurate."
"TikToks kind of glamorized it and presented illegal vapes as sort of a fashion item."
This concern comes at an important time, as The Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 just received royal approval.
Dr Emma Ward, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, was part of the study, she said:
“TikTok content is far less regulated and often presents illegal vaping as conventional or even desirable. These videos attract significant attention and can feed into an emerging illicit vape subculture.”
She also told us that young people get different messages, depending on their online sources.
The study also discovered that young people aren’t just watching these videos, they’re talking about them, creating further misinformation and trends.
They share tips, experiences, and hacks to bypass age limits on vaping products.
“These TikTok videos attract significant attention and can feed into an emerging illicit vape subculture, where young people exchange tips, experiences, and ways to bypass age restrictions” Emma said.
According to the researchers, some sellers even use tricks, bundling vaping products with cosmetics or sweets to dodge age checks.
Dr Ward found this situation worrying, saying, “It’s hard to find the real facts online. Young people may choose the more entertaining but misleading content on TikTok over straight-laced health advice.”
To see what young people might find online, the researchers looked through websites and social media. They reviewed health and education sites showing up in the first few pages of search results.
They also explored TikTok using hashtags related to illegal vaping, such as #noIDvape and #puffbundles.
Eleanor Bray said : “By comparing Google results with TikTok content, we could see the difference between health messages and what’s popular with young people."
The researchers argue that in order to make a change, they must work with social media rather than against it.
“Public health information should meet young people where they are—on platforms like TikTok. Messages need to be accurate but also engaging and relatable to their everyday lives" said Eleanor Bray.
TikTok has been approached for comment.