The Public Health Agency (PHA) has published new research titled 'Behavioural insights into youth vaping in Northern Ireland', providing detailed information on the use of e-cigarettes and perceptions of vaping among young people aged 11-18.

The report also offers insights into tobacco use and aims to inform future interventions and communications.

The study, which gathered views and experiences from over 7,500 young people across 91 post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, examined their knowledge and perceptions of health risks, reasons for vaping, and barriers to quitting.

Key findings from the vaping analysis indicate a significant increase in use with age. Overall, 15% of young people surveyed reported currently vaping. This prevalence ranged from just 4% among Year 8 pupils to a striking 46% among Year 14 pupils, meaning older students were 10 times more likely to be current vapers than younger ones.

The report notes that 98% of young people had seen or heard of vapes before the survey. A significant finding was that the majority of vapers (76%) reported they had never smoked tobacco cigarettes before trying an e-cigarette. However, among those who had never smoked before vaping, 33% have since experimented with cigarettes.

Elaine Wilmot, Health Intelligence Manager at the PHA, highlighted the motivations for vaping: "The rise of vaping among young people has become a pressing public health concern. We found that young people who vape are primarily motivated out of curiosity and by peer influences. Young people could easily access vapes, which were most commonly obtained from friends and family."

Regarding health awareness, Ms Wilmot said: "Young people are aware of or had experience of some of the short-term risks associated with vaping such as respiratory issues... Although the majority recognised that nicotine use can lead to addiction and dependency, there is a general lack of understanding that nicotine use can increase the risk of developing or intensify mental health problems such as anxiety and depression." Social media and the school environment were identified as significant influences. "Social media played a significant role in influencing young people's perceptions of vaping. Content can often glamorise the activity... The school environment can also have a significant role in shaping young people's perceptions... Vaping on school premises, particularly in the bathrooms, is very common and difficult to manage, and as a result young people are being regularly exposed to vaping which can contribute to it being normalised," Ms Wilmot added.

Other findings include that almost three quarters of ever-vapers indicated they had shared their vape with someone else. Around 40% of ever-vapers reported experiencing side effects such as headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, coughing, and anxiety/stress. While around two thirds (64%) of current vapers had tried to quit, a smaller proportion expressed willingness to quit (35% 'yes', 34% 'maybe') and a small proportion indicated they would like help (14% 'yes', 10% 'maybe').

The tobacco analysis within the report found that overall, 9% of pupils reported having smoked a cigarette, with 5% currently smoking. Smoking rates were higher in older year groups (17% in Years 11-14 vs 5% in Years 8-10) and in more deprived areas (12% vs 7%). Concerningly, 14% reported trying their first cigarette at age 10 or below.

Colette Rogers, Strategic Lead for Tobacco Control with the PHA, concluded: "By providing information on vaping and raising awareness of the risks, we can help empower families and people working in care and education settings to have open and engaging conversations with young people to steer them away from these products... It is important to advise young people that regardless of what they have been told... that vaping is not cool and they shouldn't start to use these products as the long-term health effects are not yet fully known."

These findings are intended to help address vaping in Northern Ireland and inform support services. More information is available at www.pha.site/vaping.