RESEARCH ALERT
Some vapes use added chemicals to create a cold or icy feeling. New research has raised concerns about three of them: WS-23, WS-3 and WS-5. We do not yet know how common they are in Wales.
More than half of Welsh adults who have heard of vapes wrongly believe vaping is as harmful as smoking or worse, new ASH Wales YouGov findings show.
A new UK excise duty on vaping products starts today, 1 October 2026. Here is what the £2.20 per 10ml duty, new vape duty stamps and higher tobacco duty mean in Wales.
SAFETY ALERT
UK Trading Standards tested 76 vapes sold as nicotine-free. Ten contained nicotine. This does not mean one in ten nicotine-free vapes across the UK contains nicotine.
ON OUR RADAR
UK law was written broadly enough to cover possible future nicotine products such as gels, creams and nasal inhalers. We have not confirmed that these are established consumer products in Wales or the UK.
PRODUCT WATCH
Caffeine pouches are being sold in the UK in the same small under-the-lip format as nicotine pouches. They contain caffeine, not nicotine.
A KS2 classroom resource developed with pupils in Wales, inviting learners to explore smoking, vaping and what a healthier, safer Wales could look like.
Continue reading
An early years pack helping children explore litter in a gentle, age-appropriate way, including cigarette butts and discarded vapes.
Continue reading
A KS1 and KS2 school resource using mystery, teamwork and interactive activities to explore cigarette butts, vapes and their environmental impact.
Continue reading
A KS3 educational package helping students examine nicotine pouches, nicotine dependence and the marketing and pressure surrounding these products.
Continue reading
An interactive KS3 package helping students separate fact from fiction and think critically about cannabis, its effects and the risks involved.
Continue reading
An interactive KS3 lesson exploring the health effects of smoking and vaping, nicotine dependence, harmful substances and the differences between smoking and vaping.
Continue reading