In the UK, it is illegal to sell cigarettes or vapes to anyone under 18. Despite being too young to purchase tobacco products legally, more and more young people across the country are being treated for addictions.
Last year, nearly 1,300 prescriptions of nicotine patches and gum were provided to adolescents on the NHS – some being as young as 12. Doctors are having to provide nicotine replacement therapy to help teenagers fight their cravings.
While there is a decline in cigarette use among young people, prescriptions are being issued because of the rising levels of e-cigarette use.
Depending on the quantity, nicotine gum prescriptions vary between £2 to £10, while nicotine patches can cost up to £25.
In 2023, 246 prescriptions were issued specifically to under-16s, even though it is illegal to sell cigarettes or vapes to anyone under the age of 18.
The concerning number of teenagers requiring prescriptions is costing the NHS thousands of pounds a year, and lead therapist at addiction specialist UKAT Group, Lee Fernandes, warned that nicotine addiction in young children poses serious health risks.
He said: “Children as young as 12 being addicted to nicotine is of real concern as it can lead to development abnormalities, stunting their ability to learn and play.”
NHS data reveals that while 2% of 11 – 15 year-olds are smokers, 11% have tried cigarettes before, and therapist Lee Fernandes is calling for more education in schools about smoking dangers as well as urging the Government to take action.
E-cigarette use among teenagers is another concern, as figures show that 9% of students currently use vapes. The use is particularly high among 15-year-old girls at 22%.
Professor Sanjay Agrawal, NHS England national speciality advisor for tobacco dependency, voiced his concern about the underage smoking figures as well as his support for the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will raise the age of sale for tobacco products.
He said: “We know that 200 to 300 young people each day experiment with or start smoking – and one in two adult long-term smokers will die from tobacco-related disease.”
Through licensed nicotine replacement therapies the NHS helps hundreds of teenagers quit smoking every year, and a government spokesman emphasised the commitment to tackle young nicotine addiction.
They said: “This Government is not prepared to stand by and allow a new generation of kids to get hooked on nicotine.”
Starting in June 2025, the government will implement a ban on single-use vapes. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to “pave the way for a smoke-free UK” and was described by Andrew Gwynne, Minister for Public Health and Prevention as “the biggest public health intervention in a generation.”
