Christiana High students confront youth vaping and nicotine risks

Christiana High School in Manchester is using student-focused health education to confront the growing appeal of vaping and other nicotine products among young people, as health officials warn that tobacco marketing has shifted from traditional cigarettes to colourful, flavoured products aimed at children.

The school staged an event that looked like a regular health fair, with displays, presentations and demonstrations, but its central message was about the changing ways tobacco and nicotine reach students. Organisers said the activity gave young people room to ask questions, share their views and connect classroom lessons with real-life decisions.

Health experts noted that cigarette use among youth has fallen in several parts of the world, but vaping has created a new concern. Speakers pointed to easy access, sweet flavours such as bubble gum and cherry, bright packaging and social media promotion as factors making electronic nicotine products attractive to teenagers.

They also rejected the idea that e-cigarettes are safe for children. One presenter said there is no safe tobacco use for young people, adding that electronic nicotine delivery systems still carry nicotine, the substance linked to addiction, the high users seek and harmful side effects.

Students were told that nicotine exposure during adolescence can interfere with brain development, concentration and mood, while increasing the risk of addiction later in life. One student said the session helped explain how vaping can affect the body and brain, especially while teenagers are still developing.

Speakers said some children view vaping as separate from smoking. One account described 10-year-old boys saying they did not smoke but did vape, showing how young users may see the practice as less harmful. Health officials warned that particles from vaping products can reach deep into the lungs.

School leaders said the programme was meant to build critical thinking, support healthier choices and help students resist peer pressure. They said schools must help address substance use and misuse because students may already encounter these behaviours at home and in their communities.

The National Council on Drug Abuse said education remains a key tool in preventing substance abuse among adolescents. At Christiana High, students were encouraged to carry the message to peers: tobacco and vaping can harm the heart, lungs and wider body, and attractive flavours or designs do not remove the danger.