Vaping

There are lots of reasons you might be thinking about vaping, get the advice and information you need to decide what’s best for you.

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What is vaping?

Vaping is when someone uses a vape or e-cigarette to inhale vapour containing nicotine. They sometimes come in different flavours.

Many people start vaping to try and quit smoking, but this isn’t always the case. Vaping can be less harmful than cigarettes, but it is still addictive and isn’t considered completely harmless.

If you’re vaping, thinking about vaping or you’re feeling pressured to vape then it can help to talk about it.

5 facts about vaping:

  • Vaping can be as addictive as cigarettes
  • Some people use vaping to help them quit smoking
  • It's against the law to sell nicotine products to anyone under 18
  • If you want to quit, it can help to get support
  • If you're worried about vaping, you can talk to us

Vaping and the law

In the UK, it’s illegal for anyone to sell nicotine products to someone who’s under 18, including for vaping.


It’s also against the law for someone to buy nicotine products for someone who’s under 18.

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Quitting vaping

Vapes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can make it harder to stop. But there are lots of things you can do to help you quit, and it does get easier over time.

There are lots of things that can help you quit vaping:

Coping with peer pressure

There are lots of reasons you might feel pressured to vape. You might see others enjoying it, want to do it to fit in or have other people tell you it’s something to do.

It’s not okay for other people to pressure you do to something like vaping or using other drugs.

If you’re struggling with peer pressure, there are a few things you can do:

  • Practice being assertive: Being assertive isn’t the same as being aggressive or rude, it means saying what you want clearly and with confidence. Saying what you want can help people to understand it’s your choice, and we’ve got tips to help.
  • Build your confidence: Feeling confident about yourself can make it easier to know what you want without feeling pressured by other people. It can take time to build your confidence, and we’ve got lots of ideas to help you do it.
  • Talk to someone outside the situation: It can feel hard to talk about what you want when everyone around you is vaping. You can always talk to us about what you want and how vaping makes you feel.
  • Take time away from people: If someone is making you feel bad about yourself or like you need to do things that you don’t want to, then it’s okay to take time away from them to focus on yourself and what you want without that pressure.

Worrying about someone else

If someone’s vaping and it bothers you or you’re worried about them, it’s important to think carefully about how or if you want to talk to them about it. You can’t always change someone’s mind about whether or not to vape, but it’s okay to tell them how you’re feeling about it.

If you decide to talk to them then it can help to think about what you want to say, how it’s affecting you and why you might want them to stop. Try to think about a time when neither of you will be stressed and you won’t be disturbed.

Remember, the other person may not want to change anything but whatever happens, you can talk to us about it.