Vaping rates for schoolchildren appear to drop - is it falling out of favour?

For the first time in several years, the rates of vaping among schoolchildren in Wales appear to be falling.

The most recent data from a survey of more than 130,000 young people in secondary schools showed that across all age groups, habits are changing for both vaping and smoking.

Public health officials say the "significant fall" since 2023 coincides with the ban on disposable vapes being announced, though the impact of the law change is still being evaluated.

The findings are from the student health and well-being survey which has been carried out every two years by a research network made up of Public Health Wales, Cardiff University and the Welsh government.

Questions about vaping were added in 2017, and the survey carried out last year shows that 9,100 learners between Year 7 to 11 vape regularly, which is 3,200 fewer than 2023.

Meanwhile, the numbers smoking regularly have halved to 1,600.

The answers rely on self-reporting from young people, meaning the study depends on honesty and accurate recollection from participants, but it paints a snapshot of behaviours over nearly a decade.

Since the last survey in 2023, the proportion of learners in Years 7 to 11 who say they have tried a vape fell from 25.7% to 21%.

In the same period, the number who described themselves as regular vapers or smokers was much lower, and fell from 8% to 5.9%.

Officials said there has also been a faster drop in the numbers who said they smoke regularly, with the rate now just 1.8%.

So why are some young people turning away from vaping, after several years of the numbers going in the opposite direction?

Jay, 17, from Barry Sixth Form, in the Vale of Glamorgan, said he thinks his year group narrowly avoided the hype when vapes first became popular, but they are still far more popular among younger age groups.

"When we were in younger years (in school) it wasn't as common and so that's why I think a lot of people in our year feel like they don't need to do it," he said.

"Whereas I think younger people feel the peer pressure to do it, to fit in with their friend groups."

Amelie, also 17, said her peers in sixth form were more likely to be "more health conscious" which deters them from taking up vaping.

The figures also show higher rates of girls vaping than boys, despite the drop in numbers.

Amelie said colourful packaging was likely to play a part.

"I'd say it's because of the marketing and the product, colourful packages, flavours," she said.

"I'd say vaping is more targeted towards girls than boys."

But she added that lessons in school explaining the risks had been powerful.

She added: "Our school is very supportive, they've taken the correct steps to educate us, including the health education lessons, and they brought in a demonstration of what our lungs could look like - the 'popcorn' lung - so that helped."

Year 10 Whitmore High School student Harrison, 14, said he feels vaping has been normalised among younger people, and there can be pressure to vape.

As a keen footballer in Barry, the risks to his own health and his performance on the pitch have been big drivers for not vaping.

"Social media comes into it, a lot of people on Youtube and TikTok do it, they're smoking or vaping and people think that's cool to do," he said.

It's illegal for under-18s to buy the product, but he said access for some people wasn't difficult.

Anabella, 14, said she had definitely seen interest in vapes decline among her peers.

"I've seen a few people start to quit, people are starting to realise the health risks, and they're seeing the people they're around that do that sort of thing, aren't the people they should be around.

"Everyone was doing it so it was a trend, and now that it's died down, less people are starting in the first place."

Henriette Bertheux is responsible for personal and social education at Whitmore High, and said higher rates of boys being involved in extra-curricular sports was also likely to be a factor in fewer of them vaping, compared to girls.

At one point pupils were requesting frequent toilet trips as they would vape in pairs in the cubicles, which naturally also impacted their learning.

She said a combination of education around the health implications and tighter rules about how many children are allowed toilet breaks at once had helped reduce the problem.

"We had a year group that were targetted quite heavily when they were in year 7 and 8, it was coming on social media and they were susceptible to that," she said, adding that cohort had now left school

"We've definitely seen a drop in the younger years."

Mary-Ann McKibben from Public Health Wales said there had been a concerted effort from schools, public health agencies and government to curb vape use.

She said: "We've had the introduction of some quite strong legislation with the ban on disposable vapes last year and then a lot of publicity surrounding the Tobacco and Vapes Act that will be coming into place with restrictions on packaging, marketing and content and flavours of vapes going forward.

"That all influences behaviour change, together with a rising awareness of the harm that vapes can cause.

"Technically young people shouldn't be able to get hold of vapes through legitimate means if they're under 18, so often they are at risk of illicit products that are sold on the black market that may contain all sorts of contents that are even more toxic than the normal vapes.

"So be very, very careful in terms of what you're consuming because it could really damage your health."

She added it's also important that support is offered to young people who have been vaping nicotine products, because of their addictive qualities.