Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children under the age of 18 were treated by NHS England for vaping-related disorders in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023; and what assessment they have made of the need to reduce vaping by the under-18s, including measures to make vapes available only on prescription.

NHS England recently published data on vaping related disorders as either the primary or secondary diagnosis. Data shows 46 people 19 years old and under were admitted for a vaping related disorder in 2022/23, down from 54 in 2021/22. Due to the size of the data, a copy of the full data set is attached.

On 12 October 2023, we launched a public consultation, seeking views on creating the first smokefree generation, our plans to crack down on youth vaping by reducing the appeal, availability and affordability of vapes to our children, and options to ensure the law is enforced. The consultation closed on 6 December 2023, and we will respond in the coming weeks ahead of the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

There are no medicinally licensed vaping products approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. As such, the Government is not currently considering making vaping products prescription-only.