PRODUCT WATCH ROUNDUP We’ve added new information to ASH Wales Product Watch about nicotine products that may be less familiar. Pouchless nicotine pods have a UK-facing retail listing: these small oral portions have no outer pouch and are not designed to melt. We’ve also added international examples of ultra-thin and semi-gel nicotine pouches, and updated our page on gels, creams, sprays and nasal inhalers. UK or Welsh availability has not been established for those international examples. These updates explain what the products are, what is verified and what remains uncertain. They do not establish how widely any product is used in Wales.
What if I smoke or vape too?
You can still talk honestly with your child about nicotine. You do not need to pretend you have always made perfect choices yourself.
Honesty works better than pretending
If your child says “but you do it”, you do not need a clever comeback. You can be honest.
You could say:
- “I know. I started and it has been harder to stop than I expected.”
- “Me using nicotine does not mean I want you to start too.”
- “I’m not asking you to think I’m perfect. I’m asking you to understand why I’m concerned.”
That kind of conversation can be much more believable than acting as though your own use never happened.
If you smoke
Second-hand tobacco smoke is harmful to children. The best protection is a completely smokefree home and car.
If you are not ready to stop yet, keep smoking outside and away from doors and windows rather than smoking in another room or relying on ventilation.
If you vape
Vaping does not create tobacco smoke and the evidence does not show the same second-hand risks as smoking. As a precaution, NHS guidance says it is best not to vape around babies and children if you can avoid it.
It also helps avoid making vaping feel like an ordinary part of childhood.
Buying vapes for them is not the safer workaround
Some parents worry about what their child might buy elsewhere and think supplying a vape themselves is the safer option.
It is illegal for an adult to buy a nicotine vape for someone under 18. From 29th October 2026, the proxy-purchase rule expands to all vaping and nicotine products.
If you are worried about an underage sale or suspicious seller, report it rather than trying to manage the supply yourself.
If you want support for yourself
You do not have to promise your child you will quit tomorrow. If you do want help to stop smoking, Help Me Quit offers free NHS support across Wales.