Cabinet approves scrutiny report on vaping among young people

Article date: 4 September 2025

Produced by the Children and Young People Services Scrutiny Committee as part of its work programme for 2024/25, the report highlights the prevalence of vaping in schools and local communities and aims to identify effective measures to support young people in making healthier choices. 

It comes following a recent national study which found that young people who vape are three times as likely to start smoking, develop asthma and have poor mental health compared to those who don't - with local data showing that 52 percent of respondents to a survey, aged 14-17, have tried vaping but never tried a cigarette.  

Key recommendations include: 

• Improved coordination between the 0-19 Service vaping pilot and Alder Hey Hospital's AdVANCeS clinic. 

• Encouraging young people who have successfully quit vaping to act as ambassadors for anti-vaping campaigns. 

• Sharing the outcomes of the AdVANCeS pilot with the Scrutiny Committee. 

• Considering the use of Closure Orders to deter retailers from selling illicit or underage vaping products. 

• Adding the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to the Place Services Scrutiny Committee work programme for updates on Trading Standards powers and government funding 

Welcoming the report, Councillor Nova Charlton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said:  

"This review represents a crucial step in ensuring that effective interventions are implemented across St Helens to protect our young people from the health risks associated with vaping. 

""We would like to thank everyone who contributed to this report which cabinet is pleased to support, and we look forward to work starting to implement the recommendations to enable children and young people in our borough to make healthier choices." 

While the long-term effects of vaping are not known, it is understood that vaping can cause inflammation in the airways and can trigger asthma symptoms in people with the condition. Nicotine can also cause damage to developing brains and nicotine addiction can cause other behavioural issues. 

From 1 June 2025, a ban on the sale of disposable (single use) vapes was implemented in the UK both in shops and online.