'How do I stop my 12-year-old from vaping?'

When Jane caught her 12-year-old daughter with a vape, she thought it was a one-off.

But after speaking to her, Jane learned she had been vaping regularly and had used multiple vapes since the start of the school year in September.

"She was comparing vaping to sweets, and I had to explain how it can affect her health, but I don't know what more I can do," she said.

After pressing her daughter, Jane - not her real name - was told she had bought the vapes from a classmate while on school grounds.

Jane initially heard rumours from other parents that her daughter and other children were vaping at a party, and she confronted her daughter a few days later.

"It started with her telling me it hardly happened," she said. "Then she told me she tried lots of different vapes and everyone uses them at parties."

Jane said her daughter told her she had started using vapes in September.

"I felt so many emotions. I was shocked and disappointed. I'm worried it could lead her to start smoking cigarettes or trying other drugs," Jane added. "How do I stop her from doing it?

"Someone is selling these vapes to kids - and that is what needs to be stopped."

Not only is it illegal to sell vapes to anyone under the age of 18, it is also against the law to buy them for anyone who is underage.

Despite the rules, children across the country are still getting their hands on them.

Statistics from the charity Action on Smoking and Health's Smokefree GB Youth Survey on vaping indicates that in 2025, 20% of 11 to 17-year-olds in Great Britain had tried vaping, a rise from 18% across the same period in 2024.

In response to the growing concern about e-cigarette use among school-aged children, Nottingham City Council is launching a two-year anti-vaping scheme, which will be rolled out early in the year.

There are concerns that vaping provides a gateway into nicotine addiction - with disposable vapes enticing children and young people with their fruity flavours and cheap prices.

Jane, from Nottingham, found her daughter with a single-use disposable vape, which were banned in June.

She said: "My daughter was telling me that because they taste like peach and candyfloss, they can't be bad for her.

"She told me it was like a sweet, and we had to sit down and speak about all the health risks. This is something they need to be doing in schools.

"I'm now taking away her pocket money and controlling who she socialises with to try and stop the problem. I don't want to do this, but I'm left with no choice.

"They're marketed towards kids, and those kids aren't being educated about the dangers."

Luke Thomas works at NG Vape in the West End Arcade in Nottingham city centre, which has been operating since 2013.

He said: "Children as young as 10 years old come into our store and try to buy vapes.

"We turn them away and always ask for ID, but we know that other places don't always do that."

Mr Thomas wants the government to introduce licences for shops that sell vapes to ensure the industry is more regulated.

He said: "One of the main reasons why shops are able to sell vapes to kids is because you don't need a licence to sell vapes - so anybody can set up shop and do it."

UK legislation does not currently require stores to have a licence to sell vapes, but the government is trying to change this through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Under the proposed legislation, "only responsible businesses" with a licence would be allowed to sell vapes and those caught breaking the rules could face unlimited fines or on-the-spot penalties of £2,500.

Mr Thomas said: "Shops needing licences might help the problem, but it also shouldn't be too difficult to get a licence as it could impact smaller stores.

"Regular customers shouldn't be hit with higher prices if vapes become harder to get. That isn't fair."

In 2025, Trading Standards seized 5,629 vapes from shops in Nottingham that were considered to be illegal or non-compliant with UK regulations.

More than 1,000 of those vapes were seized after three schoolchildren were hospitalised.

About 49 premises were visited by Trading Standards from January to December, 31 of which were found to have illegal vapes.

Nottingham City Council is now working alongside Thriving Nottingham and Change Grow Live to deliver its two-year anti-vaping pilot.

According to the authority, it is one of the first dedicated services of its kind in the country.

The £414,000 scheme will target secondary-aged pupils and educate them in schools about the dangers of vaping and smoking, as well as the risks of addiction.

It will also fund interventions with pupils who need one-to-one support.

Matt Corder, public health principal at the council, helped to develop the scheme.

He said: "I'm a parent of a 12-year-old and 15-year-old myself, and this issue really scares me - the numbers are worrying, and they're growing year on year.

"The situation is so complex because we need to educate children about the safety risks, but we also need to tackle the shops that are supplying the vapes.

"We know there's shops in Nottingham selling vapes to underage children, and we're working with Trading Standards to track them down."

A spokesperson for Trading Standards said it was working with public health teams to tackle "the rise in underage vaping in Nottingham".

They added: "We're committed to protecting young people from the harms of vaping and smoking, and continue to work with schools, health partners and local communities to raise awareness and promote healthier choices."