A vaping clinic aimed at children as young as 11 has begun seeing patients with an aim to get them “nicotine free”.
The vaping cessation service in Liverpool was formed at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in November and has starting treating children aged between 11 and 16.
Alder Hey NHS Foundation Trust said the clinic would “work closely” with each patient to create “tailored solutions” to meet their needs.
The number of young people using vapes or e-cigarettes – electronic devices that deliver vapour containing nicotine – has risen sharply both on Merseyside and nationally.
According to a survey of 14,000 children conducted by North West Trading Standards in 2023, 14% admitted vaping more than once a week – up from 6% in 2020.
The number of children smoking tobacco, however, was down to 6%, the lowest on record in the north-west of England.
The same year a group of nine public health directors across Cheshire and Merseyside signed a joint letter warning of the rise in vaping in children.
The letter said: “Whilst vapes are sometimes advertised as a risk-free alternative to smoking, we do not yet know the long-term effects of regular vaping.
“In the short-term, using vapes can cause coughing, headaches, dizziness and sore throats.
“Some vapes also contain nicotine, which is incredibly addictive, and is why they should only be used as a tool to stop smoking.”
Professor Rachel Isba, who is leading the vaping service at Alder Hey, told a safety and quality assurance committee last year that more data was needed on the number of children addicted to nicotine.
The meeting heard the hospital trust would need to take a “different policy” on vaping to adult hospital trusts which promoted it as a way to stop smoking.
Prof Isba noted she was aware of complications caused by vapes being used to inhale other substances, including the dangerous synthetic drug spice – which can cause cardiac arrest.
A study by the University of Bath last year found that one in six vapes seized in schools across England contained spice.
