“According to ASH data, the prevalence of children in Great Britain ever trying vape products has skyrocketed since 2021 from 11% to 20%, and this year’s data shows no sign of these rates decreasing. Reported strength of addiction has almost doubled with 47% of youth vapers now experiencing strong urges to vape. These figures are similar to the strength of addiction to smoking and in turn will mean that once youth have access to vaping products it may become very difficult for them to stop vaping.”

—Sairah Salim-Sartoni, BSc MSc CPsychol

How many underage vape users are there currently and what are their reasons for vaping?

• UK: 7% of 11–17-year-old, with 40% vaping daily
• U.S.: 5.9% of high school and middle school students: 7.8% of high school students

UK and U.S. respondents agreed that peer pressure is the leading factor causing underage vaping, although UK adults were more likely to believe flavors and product appeal played a part (40%), while both U.S. adults and young people were more likely to see curiosity and a desire to experiment (both 40%) as a leading driver.

When asked how underage people are accessing vapes, the top factors are:

88%

given or shared by friends and siblings

76%

bought online with minimal or no age verification

71%

bought from retail shops without age verification

70%

taken from parents or family members without their knowledge

“In recent years, we’ve seen a noticeable rise in patients aged 12 to 15 presenting with physical symptoms linked to vaping. The most common complaints include elevated heart rate, anxiety, headaches, and respiratory issues, particularly among physically active teens. In many cases, what begins as experimentation with friends or older siblings quickly progresses to daily use as adolescents develop a dependence on nicotine.”

—Hannah Sims, MSN, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager, Emergency Medicine (U.S.)

A new challenge: Illicit vaping and the black market

An added layer to this complex landscape is that marketing restrictions and access challenges to certain vapes have pushed up sales of illegal or black market vapes. The spike in this unregulated market means it’s easier for young people to purchase vapes without age verification.

Because there’s no oversight into their content, illicit or non-compliant vapes often have higher capacity, stronger nicotine strength, increased metals and labels that don’t display manufacturer details and health warnings.

• In the UK: 6,169,822 illicit or non-compliant vaping products were seized between 2022 and 2024
• In the U.S: 80% of e-vapor volume is non-compliant or illicit, with 35% of vapes sold in retail stores alone in 2024 being unauthorized, worth $2.4 billion

“These products undercut legitimate businesses that invest in compliance, safety, and innovation, creating an uneven playing field. The situation erodes consumer trust in the entire industry and makes it nearly impossible for well-intentioned companies to drive positive change. As long as illicit supply persists, age‑gated products will struggle to succeed in the market. If governments and regulators do not step up enforcement or create more effective frameworks, the illicit trade will continue to expand, putting more young people at risk and making public health goals harder to achieve.”

—Jason Carignan, Chief Commercial Officer of IKE Tech

“The biggest problem we’re seeing in this space is the illicit trade of vapes, with rogue retailers and criminal gangs the beneficiaries. They may even benefit from the ban if not properly enforced. A solution would be to use technology to tag all consignments coming into the UK, as the majority of illicit products come from overseas, to show that they are products from reputable sellers. This would prevent the influx of illegal products entering the UK and free up Trading Standards to crack down on retailers who continue to flout the age-verification laws.”

—Atul Sodha, award-winning UK-based retailer

Q. How worried are you about the impact of illegal or unregulated vapes on public health?

47%

Half (47%) of respondents to our survey are worried about the impact of illegal or unregulated vapes on public health.

UK Regulations U.S. Regulations UK Regulations U.S. Regulations

• Existing Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR): Rules on the composition, packaging, labelling, and marketing of tobacco and e-cigarette products in the UK, including requirements for health warnings, bans on characterising flavors, advertising restrictions, and safety standards for e-cigarettes.

• Ban on single-use (disposable) vapes (June 1, 2025): It is now illegal in the UK to sell, supply, or stock single-use (disposable) vapes (regardless of nicotine content) with businesses required to recycle remaining stock. There are strict penalties for non-compliance.

• The Tobacco and Vapes Bill (effective from January 1, 2027): A policy aiming to create a smoke-free UK by phasing out tobacco sales for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, tightening regulations on vaping and nicotine products (including bans on advertising, youth sales, and certain flavors) and strengthening enforcement and licensing to protect public health and tackle youth vaping.

Can bans alone work?

Policymakers in the UK and certain U.S. states have already banned disposable vapes, with the UK’s new Tobacco and Vapes Bill also now banning advertising. But what are the potential impacts of these bans on smokers? Dr Jasmine Khouja (Senior Research Associate in the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at the University of Bristol) suggests that the disposable vape ban could push more young people towards the illicit market. She also claims that “...national restrictions may not be the most effective or safest way to protect young people who are vaping.”

“The real risk is letting misinformation and the black market fill the void. The future is personalized, responsible communication, empowering adults and safeguarding youth, one verified message at a time.”

—Jason Carignan, Chief Commercial Officer of IKE Tech

Our research showed that advertising is not the main motivator when it comes to trying vapes.

• 60% agree that, “the decision to try vaping is more often shaped by peer pressure or social media, rather than product advertising”

Furthermore, banning vape flavors, which has featured heavily in policy discussions, is also not a solution to the youth vaping challenge. As our data illustrated, flavors are far down the list of factors causing youth vaping. Flavors also play a vital role helping adult smokers transition from cigarettes to vaping. Indeed, a survey from the University College London revealed adult vapers felt flavor restrictions would drive adults either to the illicit market or back to conventional cigarettes.

60%

agree that, “the decision to try vaping is more often shaped by peer pressure or social media, rather than product advertising”

Survey methodology