Students’ experiences of smoking and vaping

In autumn 2024, we spoke to 267 college students from Buxton & Leek, Chesterfield, and Derby Colleges to understand why young people smoke, vape, or choose not to.

Speaking to students we found that vaping is more common than smoking. 60% of students we spoke to had tried vaping compared to 28% who had tried smoking. Reducing stress and helping their mental well-being were some of the reasons students had tried smoking or vaping.

On the other hand, 37% of students said they had never smoked or vaped. Some said this to an awareness of health risks or negative experiences of seeing relatives impacted by smoking-related illnesses.

Our key recommendations include:

• Offering resources and support to help young people manage stress and improve their emotional well-being
• Make sure that there's clear messaging about the long-term health risks of smoking and vaping for young people
• Raise awareness of local stop-smoking services to help young people quit smoking or vaping

Read the full report to explore the findings and recommendations shaping efforts toward a smoke-free Derbyshire.