Kids as young as 12 to get help quitting smoking and vaping in Derbyshire schools
A new specialist service launching in secondary schools will provide support to young people aged 12 to 18 who want to quit smoking or vaping
Children as young as 12 will be offered specialist help to quit smoking and vaping through a new service being introduced in Derbyshire schools.
Vibe is the first dedicated smoking and vaping cessation service for young people in the county. Funded by Derbyshire County Council’s Public Health team and delivered by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust, the scheme is initially launching in ten secondary schools.
The move comes amid concerns about nicotine addiction among young people, with an estimated 3,000 Derbyshire pupils vaping regularly and around 750 regularly smoking.
The service will provide free, confidential support from specially trained advisers, including one-to-one coaching, personalised quit plans, help to change habits and nicotine replacement therapy where appropriate.
Bek Byron, a Derbyshire Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, who is leading the Vibe project, said:
“We are excited to launch Vibe and offer young people an approachable, accessible and confidential service to help them stop smoking or vaping.
“We understand that quitting can be challenging, which is why Vibe provides personalised support, encouragement and practical tools to help young people succeed.
“Our aim is to empower young people to make positive choices for their health and wellbeing and support them every step of their quit journey. Even if a young person isn’t ready to quit yet, they can come to us and talk about their options and how we can support them.”