Wales Youth Study: Over 45% Of Students Have Tried E-cigarettes, With A Significant Increase in Girls And Non-smokers

Wales Youth Study: Over 45% of students have tried e-cigarettes, with a significant increase in girls and non-smokers

15.9% of Welsh 11th grade students in the UK frequently use electronic cigarettes, and over 45% of students have at least tried them. The Welsh public health department is concerned about this and welcomes the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Act to curb this trend.

According to a report by Tenby Today on November 5th, the latest data released by The School Health Research Network shows that 15.9% of Welsh 11th grade students in the UK frequently use e-cigarettes, with over 45% of 11th grade students reporting having tried e-cigarettes.

More than a quarter (25.7%) of students in grades 7 to 11 have used electronic cigarettes, an increase from 20.5% in 2021. Since 2021, the use of electronic cigarettes has increased significantly among girls, 11th grade students, and non-smokers. Between 2021 and 2023, the weekly use rate of electronic cigarettes among students in all grades except for seventh grade has increased.

Female students (8.6%) are more likely than male students (5.1%) to use electronic cigarettes regularly. 11th grade students (15.9%) are more inclined to use electronic cigarettes than lower grade students.

In addition, only 5.5% of 11th grade students now smoke regularly, a decrease from 7.5% in 2021. Less than 3% of students in grades 7 to 11 frequently smoke, with the majority also using electronic cigarettes.

The Welsh public health department welcomes the UK government's introduction of the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Act.

Welsh Public Health Advisor Chris Emmerson said,

This new data indicates that the use of electronic cigarettes among Welsh youth is rapidly increasing, similar to the situation in other parts of the UK. Although the harm of electronic cigarettes is much smaller than smoking, they are by no means without risks

As emphasized by our multi agency e-cigarette response team last year, teachers and youth workers are increasingly warning us that there are more and more unfortunate nicotine addicts among school aged students. The provisions in the new bill are important measures to curb this upward trend

The Welsh Department of Public Health also welcomes the proposed increase in tobacco sales age in the bill. With smoking rates among 7th to 11th grade students at their lowest point, this is an important and life-saving legislative opportunity for this generation to pass on