Ask Sam letter

Hi there

Vaping and e-cigarettes come under the same law as smoking. This law says that it's illegal to sell any tobacco products to someone under 18. It's also illegal for someone else to buy them for you if you are under 18. It would be important to think carefully about why you want to try this and the effects it might have on you.

This law exists to prevent young people from getting addicted to nicotine and to protect your health. The long-term effects of smoking show that it increases your chance of getting lung cancer. The health effects of vaping and e-cigarettes are less known but you should be careful as they contain nicotine which is highly addictive.

It would be illegal for someone to sell you e-cigarettes, vape liquid or normal cigarettes at the age of 13. It isn't technically illegal for you to carry an e-cigarette but if you are caught in public the police can confiscate it from you. They are allowed to do this under the age of 16 in England and Wales or under 18 in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It would be important to think carefully about what you are hoping for before starting to smoke. No matter how you smoke, it’s still damaging to your heart and lungs, addictive and expensive. Childline has lots of advice on smoking and to get help with quitting. If you want to talk things over, you can chat to a counsellor online or on the phone 24/7. You can also talk to other young people who smoke on their message boards to see what they think.

Thanks for sharing this with me, take care.

Sam