Before you try smoking or vaping
As you get older, you may come across new experiences. This could include smoking, vaping, drinking alcohol or being offered drugs.
Before you try anything, it is important to understand the risks so you can make safe and informed choices.
You can use the ChatHealth text service to ask for help from a school nurse including smoking, alcohol and drugs. You do not have to give your name if you don’t want to.
Easy read guides
If you would like information in a simpler format, read our Easy Read guide. This guide uses simple language and images to explain what vaping is, how it can affect your health and where to get support.
There are other easy read guides:
- NHS South of England have several guides on alcohol and smoking
- Macmillan explain how to stop smoking
Smoking
Smoking harms your health. It can increase the risk of serious illnesses such as lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. It can also cause bad breath, headaches, sickness and stained teeth.
Vaping
Many people think vaping is harmless, but it is not risk free. Vapes contain fewer harmful chemicals than cigarettes, but they can still affect your health and can be addictive. We do not yet know all of the long-term effects.