The latest data from the School Health Research Network shows that 15.9% of Year 11 students in Wales are regular users of e-cigarettes and more than 45% have tried them, according to Tenby-Today, November 5.
Over a quarter (25.7%) of students from grades 7 to 11 have used e-cigarettes, an increase from 20.5% in 2021. Notably, e-cigarette use has risen significantly among girls, 11th-grade students, and non-smokers since 2021. From 2021 to 2023, the weekly vaping rate has increased across all grades except for 7th grade.
Girls (8.6%) are more likely to vape regularly than boys (5.1%). 11th-grade students (15.9%) are also more likely to use e-cigarettes than those in lower grades.
In contrast, only 5.5% of 11th-grade students now smoke regularly, down from 7.5% in 2021. Less than 3% of students from grades 7 to 11 smoke regularly, with most of them also using e-cigarettes.
The Welsh Public Health Department has welcomed the UK government's introduction of the Tobacco and Vaping Bill.
Chris Emmerson, a public health advisor in Wales, commented: "This new data shows that e-cigarette use among Welsh teenagers is rapidly increasing, similar to trends across the UK. While the risks of vaping are much lower than smoking, they are not risk-free."
"As our multi-agency vaping response group emphasized last year, teachers and youth workers are increasingly raising alarms about the growing number of nicotine-dependent students of school age. The provisions in the new bill are crucial measures to curb this rising trend."
"The Welsh Public Health Department also welcomes the bill's provisions to raise the legal age for tobacco sales. With smoking rates among students from grades 7 to 11 at an all-time low, this is an important legislative opportunity to pass life-saving laws for this generation."
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