Scotland's youth vaping problem laid bare in landmark international study

ASH Scotland calls for Scottish Government’s proposed tightening on advertising and promotion to be introduced ‘without further delay’

Two in five girls in Scotland have vaped by the age of 15, according to a stark new study that has led to calls for swifter action to tackle the problem.

World Health Organisation (WHO) research across 44 countries found Scottish girls are smoking and vaping more than boys and that underage vaping is more common here than in the other nations studied.

Anti-smoking campaign ASH Scotland said young people were attracted to “the taste and smell of fruit and sweet flavoured vaping products”, as well as the devices’ colourful packaging.

Girls in the UK are smoking and vaping more than boys, a major study across 44 countries has found.

The WHO asked 280,000 children aged 11, 13 and 15 from 44 countries about their use of cigarettes, vapes and alcohol.

Researchers found that girls aged 13 and 15 in the UK tend to be drinking, smoking and vaping more than boys, while two-fifths of girls in Scotland and England have vaped by the age of 15 – higher than in other countries such as France, Austria, Germany, Albania, Spain, Canada and Norway.

The UK has a particularly high rate of under-age vaping, with British girls more likely to have used a vape by the age of 15 than the average for all 44 countries in the study.

The nation’s “youngsters are attracted to the taste and smell of fruit and sweet flavoured vaping products, as well as the devices’ colourful designs and packaging”, according to ASH Scotland

Public health experts have raised concerns over what the long-term impact of vaping could be as this is not yet clear.

Dr Jo Inchley, from the University of Glasgow, and who took part in the study, said the findings are “concerning”.

“Vaping in the UK is higher than the average across all the countries that took part in the survey as a whole,” Dr Inchley said.

“I guess that’s a little bit concerning, and we’ve certainly seen quite marked increases in vaping in Scotland over the last four years… lifetime use of e-cigarettes has more than doubled in Scotland since 2018.

Two-fifths of girls in England and Scotland have vaped by the age of 15 – higher than in other countries such as France, Austria, Germany, Albania, Spain, Canada and Norway.

“So there’s two areas of concern. One is that our levels are higher than elsewhere in Europe and, secondly, it looks like the trends are worsening quite substantially over a relatively short period of time in the UK.”

Dr Inchley said one driver of increasing vape use may be their availability and low cost.

Sheila Duffy, the chief executive of ASH Scotland, said: “The WHO report finding that girls in the UK are more likely to have used e-cigarettes by the age of 15 compared to the average for all 44 countries in its study is distressing, and demonstrates the urgent need for regulatory action to tackle the upsurge of youth vaping.

“As youngsters are attracted to the taste and smell of fruit and sweet flavoured vaping products, as well as the devices’ colourful. designs and packaging, ASH Scotland is calling for robust UK-wide measures to be introduced at the earliest possible opportunity to restrict e-cigarette flavours and packaging intentionally marketed at children.

“We are also urging the Scottish Government to introduce its proposed tightening of the rules on the advertising and promotions of recreational vaping products without further delay. Those measures are enabled by Scottish legislation passed in 2016.”

Ms Duffy added that while a four-nations agreement “would be welcome”, it could take time “and with a General Election pending, we cannot afford to pause necessary protections for children’s health and wellbeing”.

“As most e-cigarettes contain high levels of nicotine, which is extremely addictive, as well as toxic chemicals that have not been safety tested for inhalation and can damage lung health, retail marketing restrictions should be immediately introduced to eradicate the promotion and visibility of e-cigarettes in shops, on our high streets and in communities across Scotland,” Ms Duffy said.

Dr Inchley added that disposable vapes “seem to be fairly readily accessible to young people” and “schools are reporting that that’s a major issue that they’re having to deal with on a day-to-day basis”.

““Having ready access to any kind of substance like that obviously makes it more attractive and available, so that is a big issue,” she said.

The study found that children in Scotland and Wales are more likely to have smoked cannabis than those in many other countries.

Both countries are in the top five globally, with 23 per cent of all 15-year-old boys in Scotland having tried cannabis. Only girls in Canada report a higher percentage.

Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary, Dr Sandesh Gulhane, said the findings are “deeply concerning”, particularly the cannabis usage among Scottish male teenagers.

“This sort of substance abuse at this age can lead to serious health harms in adult life,” Dr Gulhane said.

“The SNP have failed to give frontline services the resources they need to protect vulnerable young people and those at risk from harm from these substances.

“This study should be an urgent wake-up call for ministers to guarantee young people are protected against drug and alcohol abuse at all times.”

Dr Inchley said there has been a decline in the percentage of children who say they have smoked cannabis, particularly in Scotland in recent years, but the percentage of Scottish children who are reportedly regular cannabis users has remained steady.

“We’re not seeing the declines amongst regular users like we do amongst more experimental users,” Dr Inchley said.

“Compared with other countries, we’re still relatively high, and 15-year-old boys in Scotland have the highest levels of cannabis use across the study as a whole.

“That’s concerning. So, even though we’ve seen these decreases, we are still relatively high compared to other countries.”

The survey covered youngsters living in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, and included more than 4,000 children in England, some 4,000 in Scotland and children in Welsh schools.

Dr Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said: “The widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries across the European Region – and beyond – is a serious public health threat.

“Considering that the brain continues to develop well into a person’s mid-20s, adolescents need to be protected from the effects of toxic and dangerous products.

“Unfortunately, children today are constantly exposed to targeted online marketing of harmful products, while popular culture, like video games, normalises them.”

Public Health Minister Jenni Minto said: “The Scottish Government continues to take steps to reduce the harm that using alcohol, vaping, tobacco or drugs causes to girls, boys and young people.

“These include raising the minimum unit price of alcohol to 65 pence per unit from 30 September, to reduce alcohol harm.

“We have taken a 4 nations approach to bring forward a UK-wide Tobacco and Vapes Bill, making it an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 and introducing new powers to regulate sales of vapes.

“Our ‘Take Hold’ marketing campaign is raising awareness of the dangers of vaping to parents, carers and children and young people. It builds on teaching through the curriculum on the impact which substance use can have on lives and health.”