Teen vaping crisis laid bare as kids pack workshops helping them to quit

So many Birmingham teenagers vape that a city charity is holding workshops aimed at helping them quit. The devices - which are meant to be aimed at cigarette smokers to help them give up - have proved hugely popular with youngsters, sparking concern over the health implications.

Dawat-e-Islami, an Islamic charity, hosts a variety of community events across Birmingham touching on issues including county lines, knife crime and speeding. But workers were amazed when a wave of teens, mostly boys, came to its workshops desperate to quit vaping.

One alarming story involved a 16-year-old lad who failed his GCSEs due to his addiction to vaping, which distracted him from his studies. Ifthkar Attari, youth worker and workshop lead, said the boy's relationship with his mother broke down.

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He recounted what he heard at Smethwick workshops, saying: "These workshops are held on a regular basis and there is a growing concern amongst youths who thinks it's harmless, because vapes are advertised in all the colours. Research shows vapes do have nicotine, the chemical can lead to people using other substances later on.

"Some youths privately tell us 'we want to stop' and after our workshops they make an intention to stop. They tell us peer pressure and the need to fit in make them vape, some even steal from their families to buy vapes.

"Vapes are easy to hide in a pencil case and some parents tell us 'we thought this was a highlighter pen'. Medical stats show you can have a reaction in your body to vapes and there have been some deaths.

"One 16-year-old boy failed his GCSEs because he was so addicted and he was predicted all passes. His relationship with his mother broke down because he became moody and withdrawn, luckily we helped him with rehabilitation and a full-time education course."

The Government has announced that the sale of disposable vapes will be banned by next summer. New legislation will outlaw the sale of single-use vapes from June 1, 2025.

Research shows that vaping is far less harmful than smoking because e-cigarettes don't contain tobacco, which can cause cancer. But e-cigarettes are not risk-free with side effects including throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, the addictive chemical found in cigarettes.