Support for Healthcare Professionals
Supporting Children and Young People to Quit Nicotine
Smokefree Hampshire works in partnership with healthcare professionals to reduce nicotine dependence and prevent long‑term harm among children and young people.
We provide free, confidential, and non‑judgemental smoking and vaping cessation support for young people aged 12 + living or studying in Hampshire.
Our service complements clinical care and supports early intervention, brief advice, and onward referral.
Why cessation matters in Young People
The Royal College of Physicians (2023) recommends that young people and those who have never smoked are provided with clear, accurate information about the health risks of vaping.
This information should be carefully framed to avoid misunderstanding the relative harms of smoking and vaping and should not discourage people who smoke from switching to vaping as a harm-reduction measure.
Working to promote the health of Young People
Young people aged 16–18 report that information about smoking and vaping, including evidence on health effects, should come from trustworthy and credible sources.
Among those who smoke or vape and have expressed an interest in stopping, many report a lack of trusted information and support. This is compounded by widespread and sometimes conflicting messaging in the media, particularly around vaping and its health effects, leading many young people to seek information online or rely on anecdotal accounts from peers.
While vaping has increased in recent years, smoking remains particularly harmful, especially for young people.
Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic and known to cause serious illness. Starting to smoke at a younger age increases the likelihood of long-term addiction and raises the risk of diseases such as heart disease, respiratory conditions, and cancer later in life.
Both smoking and vaping among young people are strongly shaped by social context, with most use occurring alongside peers. As a result, creating and promoting smoke-free and vape-free environments and cultures is important. Young people report reductions in use when access to products is limited and when they are aware of the associated risks.
Barriers to access, including cost, restrictions, and age-of-sale laws, have been shown to influence attitudes and behaviours related to smoking and vaping.
These environmental factors, including advertising and product availability, are being addressed through legislative measures such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill and the UK ban on single-use (disposable) vapes, which came into force on 1 June 2025
The role of Healthcare Professionals in Early Intervention
Healthcare professionals play a key role in identifying early vaping behaviours and providing timely, supportive intervention.
Brief, non-judgemental conversations can help normalise discussion, correct misinformation, and encourage young people to reflect on their vaping within a broader health and social context.
Even short interactions can influence motivation to reduce or stop vaping, particularly when combined with clear referral pathways to specialist support.
Why intervene in primary care?
Primary care settings present a valuable opportunity to support smoking cessation among parents, carers, and young people, as they often provide regular contact with families and trusted healthcare professionals.
This makes it an ideal setting to identify nicotine use early, start supportive conversations, and offer advice and support to help people stop smoking or vaping.
Why intervene in secondary care?
A child’s admission to hospital presents a valuable opportunity to support smoking cessation among parents, carers, and children who smoke, for several key reasons
Reducing harm to the child
Stopping smoking removes the child’s exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, significantly lowering the associated risks to their health.
Long-term benefits for families
Sustained smoking cessation improves the long-term health of parents and carers and reduces the likelihood that the child will take up smoking in later life.
Increased receptiveness to support
Parents, carers, and young people may be more open to smoking cessation advice during hospitalisation, making this an ideal time to provide information about treatment options and refer them to specialist services.
Supportive hospital environment
A smoke-free hospital setting reinforces abstinence and provides external support to help individuals avoid smoking.
What is the relationship between parental smoking and child health?
Exposure to secondhand smoke presents substantial risks to children’s health and can worsen acute illness. Evidence shows that infants living with parents who smoke are at a 2-3 times increased risk of sudden infant death.
Parental smoking is also associated with a higher risk of neonatal mortality, as well as increased rates of neonatal and paediatric hospitalisation.
For instance, exposure to tobacco smoke increases the risk of hospitalisation for lower respiratory tract infections by approximately 60%.
What are the health benefits of parental or carer smoking cessation for paediatric patients?
For conditions known to be exacerbated by tobacco smoke, such as asthma, removing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke can lead to immediate improvements in a child’s health.
Parental or carer smoking cessation is also likely to reduce a child’s risk of infection and to improve wound healing over a relatively short period.
As exposure to secondhand smoke has effects comparable to those of active smoking in children, eliminating environmental tobacco smoke is expected to reduce the child’s risk of developing smoking-related disease to levels seen in children living in non-smoking households; however, the timeframe over which this risk reduction occurs is not yet fully understood.
In addition, smoking cessation results in immediate health benefits for parents and carers themselves, including a substantial reduction in the risk of smoking-related illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other respiratory conditions.
Vaping, Smoking, Air Quality and the Environment
Evidence shows that both smoking and vaping in indoor environments can affect air quality.
Smoking releases high levels of harmful chemicals and fine particulate matter into the air, while vaping has also been shown to release fine and ultrafine particles that can be detected in the surrounding environment.
Although the levels of harmful chemicals in e-cigarette aerosol are generally lower than those found in tobacco smoke, the aerosol is not harmless. Research has shown it can contain nicotine, particulate matter, propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and detectable levels of potentially toxic substances, including aldehydes and heavy metals.
Second-hand tobacco smoke is well established as harmful and is linked to a range of serious health conditions, particularly affecting children and vulnerable individuals.
While the long term health effects of exposure to secondhand e-cigarette aerosol are still being studied, early evidence suggests it can have biological effects and contribute to indoor air pollution.
Current research suggests possible pathways for respiratory and cardiovascular impacts from exposure to these airborne particles, although population level outcomes related specifically to second-hand e-cigarette aerosol are still being investigated.
Discussing smoking and vaping within the context of indoor air quality can provide a helpful, evidence based framework for healthcare professionals.
This approach allows for balanced conversations that acknowledge that vaping is less harmful than smoking, while recognising that both smoking and vaping affect the air people share and may have implications for health in enclosed or poorly ventilated spaces.
Who our service is for
Smokefree Hampshire supports:
• Young people aged 12+ who vape and want to reduce or quit
• Young people who are unsure but open to a conversation
• Parents and carers seeking advice
• Schools and community services supporting young people
The service is not intended to replace clinical care but to complement existing health, education, and safeguarding pathways.
What support looks like for Young People
Young people receive tailored, non-judgemental support from trained coaches.
Support may include:
• One-to-one behavioural support
• Education about nicotine, vaping, and environmental impacts
• Strategies to manage cravings and peer pressure
• Goal setting and confidence building
Support can be delivered flexibly, including via phone, online, or in community or school settings where appropriate.
We offer a range of evidence-based resources to support conversations with children, young people and families about smoking, vaping and indoor air quality
Speak to our dedicated Children & Young People team
We're here to help with any questions you might have.
Content on this website is informed by trusted health sources and current evidence on smoking, vaping, and nicotine.
The links below provide further information on risks, prevention, and the support available.
NCSCT - Young People & Stopping Smoking
ASH - Evidence Brief on Nicotine
NCSCT - What is effective in helping young people stop vaping
Thirdhand Smoke Resource Centre - What surfaces does thirdhand smoke stick to?
ScienceDirect - The adverse effects of vaping in young people