Listening to young people: Vaping
Following our engagement with young people earlier this year, we published our Report on young people’s experience of GP and mental health services.
Between September and October 2025, we spoke to students at Warwickshire colleges. We listened to feedback about vaping and invited young people to indicate the top two or three issues faced by themselves and their peers.
Mental health, body image and smoking/vaping were the top three issues identified.
132 young people shared their experience and concerns about vaping. We heard how vaping was used by young people to support their mental health, or as a preferred alternative to other addictions. Some young people considered vaping a habit which was easy to stop, and others told us about the challenge of addiction.
“Been doing it for 8 years. I love it. It helps to calm me down and with my ADHD. It helps me cope with stress.”
“I started vaping as a high school experience, to help me fit in, for self confidence. I started at the start of year 11. I can't stop, it's become a habit, but I don't want help yet to stop because it helps me get through college.”
“Started 4 years ago. I wished I'd never done it. Helps to distract me when I am struggling with my mental health. I can't quit. I am worried about the effects it has on my health.”
Our findings have been shared with Public Health Warwickshire and the Warwickshire County Council's Smoke Free Generation team.
Response from Warwickshire County Council's Smoke Free Generation team
Warwickshire County Council's Smoke Free Generation team would like to thank Healthwatch Warwickshire for this important and timely report on vaping among children and young people. The insights this report provides help deepen our understanding of the wider impacts of vaping on children and young people's wellbeing, with the findings linking vaping to coping with mental health and substance use being particularly powerful.
This report aligns closely with our own recent behavioural insight work into youth vaping, which is due to be completed later this year. Together, these findings will contribute to a robust evidence base that is currently being developed into a local action plan to address this issue. We welcome the opportunity to continue working closely with Healthwatch Warwickshire to ensure our collective efforts are informed, coordinated, and impactful in supporting health needs across Warwickshire.
