This report provides detailed information on the use of e-cigarettes and perceptions of vaping among young people, as well as insights into tobacco use, and will help inform the future design of targeted interventions and communications on vape use by young people. 

The research had access to the views and experiences of young people aged 11-18 years towards e-cigarette and tobacco use, and looked into their knowledge and perceptions of health risks. The findings give an insight into why young people vape and also identify barriers that may prevent them from stopping using e-cigarettes/vapes in the future. Over 7,500 young people participated in this study, across 91 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, and findings include that prevalence of current vape use was 46% among year 14 pupils. The PHA collaborated with a number of key stakeholders including Cancer Focus NI, CCEA, and Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum, who were all instrumental in the success of this research project. 

Main findings of the vaping analysis:

The PHA found that 98% of young people indicated that they had seen or heard of vapes before this survey. 

Overall, 15% of young people currently vape. Young people in the upper year groups were considerably more likely to be current vapers than those in the lower year groups, with year 14 pupils being 10 times more likely to be current vapers than those in year 8. Prevalence of current vape use increased though the year groups ranging from 4% among year 8 pupils, to 46% among year 14 pupils. 

The majority of vapers (76%) reported they had never smoked tobacco cigarettes before they had tried an e-cigarette for the first time, with 7% reporting they had been regularly using cigarettes.

The report shows that 33% of those who had never smoked before vaping have since experimented with cigarettes. 

When asked why young people choose to vape, 57% responded that it was “because most other people are doing it.” The other most common reasons were “because it’s a popular thing to do” and “because they wanted to look cool,” whereas, among current vapers, the most common reasons were “the curiosity of trying a vape” followed by “it’s a popular thing to do.”

The PHA also found the sharing of vapes was very common among young people, with almost three quarters of ever-vapers indicating they have shared their vape with someone else. 

Among those young people who had ever used vapes, approximately 40% reported they had experienced side effects. Common side effects reported included headaches, dizziness, breathless, coughing, lower fitness level, anxiety/stress, nausea, increased heart rate and tiredness. 

Around two thirds of current vapers (64%) had tried to quit vaping, with 55% indicating they had been successful for a period of time. Those in the upper year groups were less likely to have tried to quit vaping than those in the lower year groups. 

When asked about their willingness to stop vaping, over one third of current vapers (35%) indicated ‘yes’ they would like to stop, with 34% indicating ‘maybe’. A small proportion of current vapers indicated they would like help/support to quit vaping, with 14% stating ‘yes’ and 10% stating ‘maybe’. 

Main findings of the tobacco analysis:

Overall, 9% of pupils reported having smoked a cigarette – 5% of respondents are current smokers and of these, 46% were regular smokers, 16% were occasional smokers, and 39% were experimental smokers. Among current smokers, 26% reported that they smoked daily. 

Young people in lower year groups were least likely to have tried a cigarette, with 5% of pupils in year 8–10 having tried cigarettes, compared with 17% of those in year 11–14. 

Young people living in the most deprived areas (12%) were more likely to have ever tried a cigarette, in comparison with those living in the least deprived areas (7%). 

Fifty one percent of young people reported having an immediate family member who had ever smoked cigarettes. For the vast majority of smokers, experimentation with cigarettes began in their teenage years. Of concern, 14% had tried their first cigarette at age 10, or below (primary school age). 

For more information visit www.pha.site/vaping

Notes to the editor
Young people are heavily influenced by their peers. If quitting vaping is normalised or supported within their social circles, they may be more likely to engage with services. A holistic approach that considers the overall well-being of the young person, such as addressing any underlying issues such as anxiety or depression can make services more appealing to young people. More research is needed to further explore effective strategies for reaching and supporting young people in their efforts to quit vaping. 

Findings highlight the complexity of youth vaping behaviours, including motivation behind usage, peer influence, perceptions of safety, and marketing tactics. There is a need to act to regulate the marketing and accessibility of vapes, provide evidence based public health messaging, and develop co-created initiatives to support young people. These initiatives should encompass stress management, skill-building to resist peer influence, and education on nicotine levels and vaping chemicals, and associated risks. Provision of youth-centred cessation services are warranted as is a holistic approach to behaviour change, targeting core needs.  Future longitudinal studies to assess how perceptions and use of vapes evolve over time and implications of long-term use could be useful.