Emma is embarking on something she vowed she would never do.
In a desperate attempt to maintain some semblance of control over her children’s vaping habits, she has resorted to purchasing the devices herself.
She harbors no pride in this decision, but maintains it feels like the only viable method to keep her two teenagers safe while reducing the dangerously high nicotine levels they were consuming.
“It went against every instinct in my body to do that, but they’re genuinely addicted,” Emma explains. “It’s not simply a matter of instructing them to stop – it is infinitely more complex than that.”
Emma believes her son, whom she has requested the BBC not identify, began vaping during primary school.
He managed to conceal this habit from her initially, but by the time he reached high school, his repeated protests of “that vape’s not mine” had begun wearing increasingly thin.
By age 15, Emma’s son was experiencing shortness of breath, had contracted tonsillitis, and during one particularly severe episode, was in such excruciating pain that Emma summoned an ambulance.
“The paramedics suggested that his incessant vaping could be causing these symptoms,” she recalls. “They advised him to attempt cessation, or at minimum, significantly reduce his consumption.”
It was at this critical juncture that Emma decided drastic measures were necessary – she would assume control and purchase the vapes herself, endeavoring to reduce their nicotine intake from 20mg to 10mg.
“I issued them a clear warning – if I discover them with a device containing higher nicotine levels – then I’ll cease purchasing any devices whatsoever, permanently.”
Emma explains that this approach allowed her to ensure the vapes originated from reputable suppliers, weren’t illegal products containing other harmful substances, and enabled her to monitor the nicotine concentration.
Not only is selling vapes to anyone under 18 illegal, but purchasing them for minors is equally prohibited. Emma fully understands that her actions aren’t lawful, but believes this represented her only viable option.
She believes she has successfully reduced her son’s nicotine intake, partially through purchasing the vapes, but also by maintaining such transparent communication with him.
However, Emma reports that the disposable vape ban, which took effect on 1 June, has produced minimal impact on her children’s nicotine consumption.
The legislation was introduced due to environmental concerns and to address the rising numbers of children and young people vaping.
While vapes provide a significantly healthier alternative to cigarettes, concerns persist that vaping serves as a gateway into nicotine addiction – with disposable vapes enticing children and young people through their appealing fruity flavors and affordable prices.
Health experts unanimously agree that anyone who doesn’t smoke should never start vaping, as it may cause long-term damage to the lungs, heart, and brain.
Yet weeks after the ban’s implementation, Kate Pike from the Chartered Trading Standards Institute expresses skepticism about its effectiveness – and notes that some rechargeable vapes, which remain legal for purchase, are being marketed directly toward children.
“We’re discovering compliant products – vapes that are refillable and rechargeable – containing packages of decorative stickers,” she observes. “What adult would want to embellish their vape with stickers?”
She also notes the extreme difficulty in distinguishing between the now-illegal disposables and legal refillable vapes. Due to some being equipped with pre-filled pods, they continue being used “exactly like disposable vapes and subsequently discarded.”
At Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, home to the UK’s first NHS vaping clinic for children, Professor Rachel Isba advises parents not to be overly critical of themselves – they’re fighting a battle against the formidable power of an enormous vaping industry.
“The crucial element is avoiding judgment of your child; the world our young people inhabit is an extraordinarily challenging environment for growing up,” she explains. “There are countless competing pressures.”
Her clinic supports 11-15-year-olds who have been referred by other NHS healthcare professionals. Operating since January, it already maintains a six-week waiting list.
“The children who visit me must genuinely want to be here and understand their reason for attending,” Professor Isba explains. “Perhaps they’re noticing physical changes – struggling to participate in sports without becoming breathless, for instance, or coughing up blood, or they simply recognize their addiction and desire to stop or reduce consumption.”
She describes young people sleeping with vapes beneath their pillows to access nicotine during nighttime hours, and addictions so severe they experience “micro withdrawals” during school hours.
“They consume nicotine so frequently that they begin feeling anxious without it – even during a double mathematics lesson, for example.”
They subsequently believe they require the vape to alleviate anxiety, she explains, but nicotine withdrawal is actually causing those initial feelings.
Professor Isba provides nicotine replacement therapy – including gums and patches – and discusses how vaping affects their daily lives.
“We might explore methods for reducing consumption, identify vaping triggers, and even calculate potential financial savings from cessation.”
She characterizes the government’s Tobacco and Vapes bill as a positive step forward but advocates for expanded pediatric addiction services throughout the NHS.
The problem extends “far beyond” her clinic’s capacity, she explains, and she worries that vaping could become a gateway drug leading to smoking and other dependencies.
Dan from Twickenham, father of three boys, shares this concern. He argues that discussions about youth vaping are futile because, he contends, “that horse has already bolted.”
His 17-year-old was expelled from school in February after being caught with cannabis in his vape, and his 14-year-old recently came dangerously close to losing his school placement due to a similar incident.
“Vaping serves as a gateway drug,” Dan asserts. “They become addicted to nicotine and subsequently progress to harder substances.
“They’ve definitely smoked cigarettes and now my eldest is addicted to nicotine pouches. It’s an endless cycle.”
A government spokesperson informed the BBC that it was implementing “robust action” to address youth vaping – including empowering Trading Standards to issue £200 on-the-spot fines to anyone caught selling tobacco or vapes to underage individuals.
They also emphasized that single-use vapes were a “blight on our streets” and that the government had mandated all vape retailers to provide recycling bins.
Author: AI
Published: 29 June 2025