Vaping Epidemic Hits Youth: Experts Warn of Long-Term Cognitive Impacts

According to a new analysis published in The BMJ on November 13, 2025, teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of nicotine exposure from vaping. Researchers from the UK, Australia, and the Netherlands caution that this exposure "may have long-term effects on attention, cognition, memory and mood."

The study also notes that young people are more prone to nicotine addiction, which can exacerbate problems with addiction and substance abuse later in life. Academics, including researcher Tom Gatehouse from the University of Bath, highlight how vape use "may act as a gateway to tobacco smoking."

While the potential benefits of vaping for current smokers who switch to e-cigarettes are acknowledged, the experts emphasize that this should not be misconstrued as reducing harm for the population as a whole, especially when it comes to children. They point out that children are now using e-cigarettes at higher rates than adults, and argue that governments often overlook the harms to young people, influenced by industry claims around reducing harm to adults.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for urgent action to tackle youth vaping, and the academics state that such action is "not only crucial from a public health perspective but is required by international human rights law."