Children as young as eleven are facing lengthy waits for treatment at Britain's pioneering NHS vaping addiction clinic, according to exclusive data obtained by this publication.
Growing Waiting List for Youth Vaping Support
Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool launched its groundbreaking e-cigarette cessation pilot programme in February this year, aiming to help young people break their nicotine dependency. However, Freedom of Information data reveals the service has already reached capacity, with at least fifteen children currently queuing for support.
The situation highlights Britain's escalating youth vaping crisis, with approximately twenty-seven young people already receiving treatment through the programme. Among those being helped, seventeen are aged between fourteen and fifteen, while fewer than ten children are just eleven to twelve years old.
Alarming Statistics on Youth Vaping
This specialist service was established in response to worrying increases in young vapers across the Merseyside area. The national picture appears equally concerning, with recent figures showing that 1.1 million school-aged Britons have tried vaping at least once.
Professor Rachel Isba, who leads the service at Alder Hey, emphasised the seriousness of the situation. "There is well-established evidence of the impact of nicotine on the still-developing brain and it's not good news," she stated. "More research needs to be done to look at the impact of vaping on under-16s if we are going to be able to effectively provide the support they are asking for."
Future of Vaping Addiction Services
The clinic's approach involves creating individualised treatment plans that may include nicotine substitution therapy, psychological support, and strategies to handle peer pressure and behavioural triggers. Staff also collaborate with local schools to gather essential data about nicotine-dependent children in the community.
Although the initial pilot funded by NHS Cheshire and Merseyside has technically concluded, the service will continue until every child on the current waiting list has received treatment. Hospital officials are now actively exploring future funding options to maintain vaping addiction services both locally and potentially across other NHS trusts nationwide.
This development comes amidst conflicting public health messages about e-cigarettes. While vaping is recognised by the NHS as an effective tool for helping adults quit smoking - with a 2024 review confirming they outperform traditional nicotine replacement therapies - the devices are creating a new generation of nicotine-dependent young people.
The scale of vaping in the UK is substantial, with 5.6 million adults currently using e-cigarettes, representing approximately 10-11% of the adult population - the highest level ever recorded. This persistence occurs despite government interventions, including June's ban on disposable vape sales.
