Children as young as 11 are now stuck on a growing waiting list for Britain’s first specialist vaping-addiction clinic.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool opened its pioneering e-cig cessation pilot earlier this year amid a surge of under-16s hooked on vapes.
But figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show the service has already hit full capacity, with at least 15 children waiting to be seen.
Around 27 are receiving treatment, including 17 aged between 14 and 15, and some, fewer than 10, aged 11 to 12.
It comes as the number of school-aged Brits hooked on the devices continues to soar, with 1.1million admitting they’ve puffed on at least once.
Professor Rachel Isba, who leads the Alder Hey service, warned of the impact of nocotine in young brains still being developed.
She added: “More research needs to be done to look at the impact of vaping on under-16s if we are going to be able to effectively provide the support they are asking for, to enable them to become nicotine-free, and improve their health and wellbeing.”
Professor Isba had previously made the shocking revelation that children as young as seven are taking up vaping.
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool opened its pioneering e-cig cessation pilot earlier this year amid a surge of under-16s hooked on vapes
But figures obtained show the service has already hit full capacity, with at least 15 children waiting to be seen. Pictured: Stock image
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), around 18% of children aged 11-17 have vaped before and around 7.2 per cent have vaped.
The clinic launched in February after schools across Merseyside reported a spike in nicotine-dependent pupils.
Treatment is tailored to each child and can include nicotine substitutes, therapy, support around peer pressure and behavioural habits. Staff also work directly with schools to track dependency levels and help refine the service.
Although the pilot funding from NHS Cheshire and Merseyside has now ended, Alder Hey will keep running the service until everyone on the waiting list is treated, according to the Mirror.
Trust bosses are also examining long-term funding options to roll out similar clinics in Merseyside and potentially across other NHS trusts.
Meanwhile vaping among adults continues to climb, with 5.6 million Britons now using e-cigarettes, the highest level on record.
Ministers have brought in measures, including a ban on single-use vapes introduced in June, to try to curb nicotine addiction.
Despite concerns, the NHS still views vaping as a valuable tool for adult smokers trying to quit.
A major 2024 evidence review concluded nicotine e-cigarettes remain more effective than traditional nicotine-replacement therapies such as patches or gum.
Children who regularly vape are three times more likely to become smokers later in life, reports suggest, while studies have linked the habit to respiratory illness and substance abuse.
Meanwhile, data from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) indicates vaping has tripled among children since 2021.
In September, experts began calling for e-cigarettes to be banned worldwide to protect children from ‘irreversible harm’.
Previous studies suggest vaping can increase the risk of stroke by a third and asthma and cardiovascular disease by a quarter.
Researchers speaking at the world’s largest heart conference warn the impact on developing brains and hearts is likely to be even greater.
Previous studies suggest vaping can increase the risk of stroke by a third and asthma and cardiovascular disease by a quarter
Professor Maja-Lisa Løchen, a senior cardiologist at University Hospital of North Norway, said she fears vaping could become a new ‘epidemic’.
She said: ‘There is an additional risk of vaping in children [compared to adults] when it comes to effects on the body.
‘Because we know that the nicotine and other elements in e-cigarettes have a very harmful effect on developing brains.
‘Not only in the foetus, but during childhood and into your 20s. So that is something we are extremely concerned about.
‘We also know that when children and young people start vaping, they may become dependent on the nicotine and it can become a gateway to smoking.’
