Vaping and peer pressure: what you need to know

A recent NHS survey found that a quarter of 11-15-year-olds have tried vaping and that 9% do it frequently. But what's the deal with vaping and your health? And what can you do if you feel under pressure to start vaping? Let's take a look.

Vaping and your health

The healthiest option is not to smoke or vape

The first thing to remember is that although vaping has been suggested as a way to help adults quit smoking cigarettes, it's not something for teens to experiment with, or a ‘healthy’ option. The NHS emphasises the importance of protecting young lungs and brains – they're pretty important organs! You can keep in good health by having a balanced diet, staying active and getting plenty of sleep.

Nicotine is addictive

When it comes to vaping, it's important to know that there are risks involved, and that the long-term effects to your health are still uncertain. Some vapes do contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance, and once you start vaping it can be really tough to stop. According to the NHS, nicotine can be more risky for young people than for adults, as the evidence suggests that the teenage brain is more sensitive to its effects.

Buying vapes under 18 is illegal

It's illegal to sell nicotine vaping products to anyone under 18 or for adults to buy them for under-18s. The sale of disposable vapes has been banned in UK shops and online since June 1 2025.

How to say no to vaping peer pressure

You may have no interest in vaping, but feel pressure from people to give it a go. This is what's known as peer pressure. Peer pressure is feeling like you have to do something just because other people want or expect you to do it. It can be hard to stand up to peer pressure, but the benefit of doing that is that you get to make your own decisions and live by your own values. Here are some tips from teacher Chloe Vethamony.

1. Have a way out

Peer pressure often happens during social times, such as the journey to and from school or during breaks. If you find yourself in these tricky situations, you can try to avoid them by having an excuse to leave. A great, valid reason is joining an extracurricular activity. A sports club after school or a debate club during lunch times are also great ways to meet other people. Having somewhere to be means you can remove yourself from difficult circumstances.

2. Saying no with confidence

First, you must decide what you are and aren’t comfortable with. Once you know your boundaries, it’s easier to say no with more confidence. If a firm ‘no, thank you’ isn’t enough, you could use phrases such as ‘that’s fine if you want to, but I don’t,’ or ‘no, that’s not for me.’ You may also find it useful to ask your friends if they really want to do whatever it is that they are pressuring you to do. You might find that they don’t either, but they just didn’t want to admit it.

3. Finding your tribe

Sometimes it is hard to say no to friends, especially if you have known them for a long time. But being loyal to a friend doesn’t mean that you must do something that you don’t want to do. Friendships change and that’s ok. If you find that your friends no longer align with your values, it’s fine and perfectly normal to find other friends that do. Remember that real friends will respect your decisions, even if they differ from their own. Stick to your values – it will help you find your own tribe.

4. Standing up to others

You may be confident in the person that you are and unafraid of having a different opinion to your peers. However, if you see someone else being a victim of peer pressure, you could decide to be an ally. It’s not always best to confront the situation when you see it happening, but you could approach this person afterwards and let them know that what is happening to them isn’t right and offer to support them in getting help and reporting what is going on to a form tutor or head of year.

5. Getting help and advice

If you do find yourself in a situation where you feel under pressure to do something you don’t want to do, get help and support as soon as you can to stop things from getting worse. The sooner you reach out for help, the sooner you can deal with the peer pressure. Confide in a trusted adult – this could be a parent or carer, a teacher or a member of the pastoral team at school – and they can support you with any peer pressure you may be facing.

If you need support

You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.

If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact Childline, where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are more links to helpful organisations on the BBC Bitesize Action Line page for young people.