A major review by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has found consistent evidence linking vaping among children and young people to respiratory problems and an increased likelihood of later smoking cigarettes.
The review, published on 20 August, examined more than 14,000 published articles, assessed 325 full-text studies and synthesised evidence from 81 studies covering eight health and social areas.
Researchers found that young people who vape are more likely to experience respiratory symptoms including coughing, wheezing, bronchitis symptoms and asthma exacerbations.
The review also found strong evidence from long-term studies that young people who vape are significantly more likely to go on to smoke cigarettes.
The researchers said vaping has increased sharply over the past decade, with experimentation and regular use among young people increasing around tenfold. They noted that use often begins in early adolescence.
The review also identified evidence linking vaping to oral and dental health problems and poorer mental health outcomes, including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.
There is also emerging evidence of possible effects on sleep, eye health and allergies, as well as adverse outcomes associated with infants and babies exposed to nicotine during pregnancy.
Co-author of the review, Professor Will Carroll, said vaping should not be viewed as harmless.
“Vaping should not be seen as a harmless part of growing up,” he said.
“The evidence shows clear links with respiratory symptoms, nicotine dependence and subsequent cigarette smoking, while concerns about wider impacts on young people’s health continue to grow.”
RCPCH Vice President for policy, Dr Mike McKean, said the long-term effects of vaping on children and young people remain uncertain, but that the evidence is becoming increasingly concerning.
“Vaping is still a relatively new product, and there is much we do not yet know about its long-term impact on children and young people, but a clear and concerning picture is emerging.”
McKean called for continued research and monitoring, saying governments need to keep pace with a rapidly changing vaping market.
The RCPCH supports the UK Government’s Tobacco and Vapes Act, which aims to reduce youth exposure to nicotine and protect future generations from nicotine addiction.
The College is also calling for restrictions on the types of vape flavours available to children, rather than only regulating the names used to describe those flavours.
The systematic review, involving children and young people aged between zero and 19, was published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood on 20 August 2026.
