Lancashire children at risk as vaping linked to smoking, poor health and expolitation
New research reveals vaping not only harms young people’s physical and mental health, with warnings it may also be exposing them to criminal exploitation.
Children who vape are significantly more likely to become smokers, suffer from respiratory illness, and experience poor mental health, according to the largest global review of youth vaping to date.
The umbrella study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, analysed 56 reviews covering 384 studies and found “consistent evidence” that young people who vape are three times more likely to take up smoking. It also linked vaping to asthma, pneumonia, substance abuse, and even suicidal thoughts.
Dr Su Golder from the University of York said:
“The consistency in the evidence is striking. Across multiple studies, young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke in the future. These findings support stronger public health measures to protect teens from the risks associated with vaping.”
Dr Greg Hartwell from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine added:
“We found consistent evidence around transitions to smoking which of course, in turn, opens the door to the multitude of harms that conventional cigarettes bring.”
The study comes as Lancashire campaigners warn that vaping is not only a health risk—but also a gateway to exploitation.
Christina Gabbitas, a children’s author from Blackburn who writes and campaigns about county lines, says addiction and the often illicit nature of vaping products can make children vulnerable to criminal grooming.
“Quite innocently, they think, ‘Oh well, I’ve got a few vapes here. This is great.’ They get reeled in and then they get trapped into a bit of a cycle. It’s just really, really sad situations that they end up into and that they can’t get out of. So they’ve become victims of exploitation.”
She added:
“The exploitation side of things, especially in the school holidays, definitely is very open. The groomers, the criminals, they’re always changing the business models and they will groom children, young people however best they can—and vaping is an easy one for them. And that is what’s happening.”
The UK government introduced a ban on disposable vapes in June to curb youth usage. The ban applies to all single-use devices, whether or not they contain nicotine, across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Retailers are still allowed to sell reusable vapes, but campaigners and health experts continue to call for stricter enforcement and education to protect young people.