Walk into any secondary school staffroom and you’ll hear it: conversations about pupils who seem unable to concentrate, who ask repeatedly to use the toilet, who appear increasingly anxious as the morning wears on. Many of these conversations now circle back to vaping. What’s emerging from recent research is a troubling picture—not just of young people vaping to cope with stress, but of vaping itself contributing to the very anxiety it’s meant to relieve. 

For schools grappling with vaping in toilets, corridors and changing rooms, understanding this connection between e-cigarette use and mental health isn’t academic. It’s essential for developing vape prevention strategies that actually work. 

Why Young People Believe Vaping Helps with Stress 

The perception that vaping reduces anxiety is remarkably widespread—and it’s easy to understand why. According to a Truth Initiative survey, 4 in 5 young people who had vaped said they started specifically to lessen their stress, anxiety or depression. Among those who vape frequently (20 or more days per month), half say they “must vape” to manage their stress and anxiety. 

The ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey 2025 found that 6% of young people who have tried vaping cite stress or mental health support as their primary reason for using e-cigarettes. That figure may seem modest, but it represents a significant subset of the estimated 1.1 million children aged 11-17 who have tried vaping in Great Britain. Among those who have also smoked at some point, the proportion rises further. 

This belief isn’t entirely unfounded in immediate experience. Nicotine releases dopamine—the “feel-good” chemical that creates sensations of pleasure and relaxation. When a young person vapes, they genuinely do feel a temporary reduction in tension. The problem is what happens next. 

The Withdrawal Trap: Why the Relief Doesn’t Last 

Here’s where the science becomes crucial for understanding what schools are actually dealing with. Irritability, anxiety, difficulty concentrating and depressed mood are all recognised symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. When a young person who has become dependent on nicotine uses their vape, they’re not reducing their underlying anxiety—they’re temporarily relieving withdrawal symptoms that the nicotine itself has created. 

As the Truth Initiative explains, the cycle of nicotine withdrawal, subsequent nicotine use, and alleviation of symptoms starts with nicotine addiction in the first place. The young person feels anxious, vapes, feels better, then feels anxious again as the nicotine wears off—and concludes that vaping helps with anxiety, when in reality it’s both the cause and the temporary cure. 

Research published in Preventive Medicine by Mantey and colleagues (2022) examined the longitudinal associations between perceived stress and e-cigarette use behaviours among emerging adults. The study found that higher perceived stress predicted both the progression of vaping (moving from experimental to more regular use) and the continuation of current vaping. Those experiencing higher stress levels were more likely to keep vaping—trapped in a cycle where the apparent solution reinforces the problem. 

The Evidence: Vaping Actually Worsens Mental Health 

Multiple studies now demonstrate that rather than helping with anxiety, vaping appears to make it worse over time. 

Research published in 2024 by the University of Surrey examined young adults aged 18-25 and found striking results. Vape users displayed significantly poorer sleep quality than non-vapers, with more than three-quarters showing symptoms of insomnia. Perhaps most concerning: 95.9% of vapers in the study were categorised as having clinical levels of anxiety symptoms. 

Dr Simon Evans, Lecturer in Neuroscience at the University of Surrey, noted that the study found “a disturbing link between vape use and anxiety symptoms, and it can become a vicious cycle of using a vape to soothe anxiety but then being unable to sleep, making you feel worse in the long run.” 

A 2024 study published in Substance Use & Misuse by Lee, Kim and Stevens examined why young adults vape and found that those experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression were significantly more likely to report vaping specifically for “tension reduction or relaxation.” The association was particularly strong among those with severe anxiety. Yet the research also confirms that e-cigarette use can worsen mental health symptoms—meaning the young people most drawn to vaping for stress relief are potentially those most vulnerable to its harms. 

A Gap in Understanding 

The Public Health Agency Northern Ireland’s 2025 youth vaping research, which surveyed over 7,500 young people across 91 post-primary schools, identified a critical knowledge gap. While many young people were aware of short-term side effects—40% of those who had ever vaped reported experiencing effects including headaches, dizziness, breathlessness and anxiety—the research found “a general lack of understanding that nicotine use can increase the risk of developing or intensify mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.” 

This matters enormously for schools. Young people are reaching for vapes believing they’re managing their stress, unaware that they may be making their mental health worse. Only 44% of frequent vapers (aged 15-24) agreed that vaping can worsen anxiety and irritability, according to Truth Initiative data. The misconception persists even as the evidence mounts. 

What This Looks Like in Schools 

For teachers and pastoral staff, this manifests in observable ways throughout the school day. The University of Surrey research found that 73.5% of young vapers were evening types—so-called “night owls”—compared to only 40% of non-users. This pattern of late nights and disrupted sleep means many young vapers arrive at school already struggling with fatigue and concentration. 

As the day progresses, nicotine withdrawal begins to set in. The ASH 2025 data shows that 47% of youth vapers now report strong, very strong or extremely strong urges to vape—nearly double the 26% reporting such intense urges in 2020. For these young people, getting through double maths without a vape isn’t simply a matter of willpower. They’re experiencing genuine withdrawal symptoms that affect their ability to focus, their mood and their interactions with peers and teachers. 

The Northern Ireland research highlighted that vaping on school premises, particularly in toilets, has become very common and difficult to manage. Young people are regularly exposed to vaping, which contributes to it being normalised and can result in them viewing it as acceptable behaviour. This normalisation, combined with the stress-vaping cycle, creates conditions where struggling students may be drawn into vaping as an apparent coping mechanism. 

Rethinking Vape Prevention: A Wellbeing Approach 

This evidence has significant implications for how schools approach vaping. If a substantial proportion of young vapers are using e-cigarettes specifically to manage anxiety and stress—and if vaping is actually worsening their mental health—then purely disciplinary responses miss the point entirely. 

The Surrey research suggests that mindfulness may offer protective benefits. Young people who vaped had significantly lower levels of mindfulness than non-users, while those with higher levels of rumination (repetitive dwelling on negative feelings) were more likely to vape. Dr Evans suggested that “interventions that focus on mindfulness and combating rumination could be useful to reduce vape use amongst young people.” 

For schools, this points toward integrated approaches. Effective vape detection systems—such as vape smoke detectors placed in toilets and changing rooms—serve an important purpose: they identify where and when vaping occurs, enabling targeted support rather than school-wide speculation. But detection works best as part of a broader framework that addresses why young people vape in the first place. 

The Northern Ireland research found that when asked about willingness to stop vaping, over one third of current vapers indicated they would like to stop, with another third saying “maybe.” A small but significant proportion said they would welcome help or support to quit. These young people aren’t defiant—they’re struggling with dependency and, in many cases, underlying anxiety that drew them to vaping initially. 

From Detection to Support 

Schools implementing comprehensive vape prevention support might consider several connected strategies. First, vape detection technology identifies hotspots and patterns, moving the conversation from suspicion to evidence. When staff know that vaping is occurring in specific locations at specific times, they can respond appropriately—whether that’s increased supervision, pastoral conversations or referrals to support services. 

Second, education programmes should address the anxiety connection directly. Young people need to understand not just that vaping is harmful, but specifically how it affects the mental health issues many of them are already experiencing. The Northern Ireland research noted that social media plays a significant role in shaping perceptions, often glamorising vaping while downplaying health consequences. Schools can counter this with accurate, evidence-based information about the stress-vaping cycle. 

Third, schools can develop pathways for young people who want to stop but don’t know how. The ASH data shows that among those aged 11-17 who currently vape, 64% had tried to quit, with 55% indicating they had been successful for a period of time. These numbers suggest willingness to change—what’s often missing is appropriate support. 

Conclusion: Seeing the Whole Picture 

The connection between vaping and anxiety challenges simplistic narratives on both sides of the debate. Vaping isn’t merely a defiant behaviour problem requiring stricter enforcement. Nor is it a harmless habit that schools should ignore. The evidence increasingly shows that for many young people, vaping is intertwined with genuine mental health struggles—struggles that vaping itself often worsens. 

For schools developing vaping in schools policies, this understanding should shape every element of the response. Vape detectors provide the data needed to act effectively. Education addresses misconceptions about vaping and stress relief. Pastoral support offers young people alternatives to nicotine for managing anxiety. And clear, consistent boundaries maintain safe, healthy learning environments. 

The young person vaping in the toilets between lessons may well be struggling with anxiety that predates their vaping—and is now being compounded by it. Understanding this doesn’t excuse the behaviour, but it does point toward more effective interventions than detention alone. Schools equipped to detect vaping, understand its drivers and support young people toward healthier coping strategies are best positioned to break the cycle that keeps so many students trapped. 

References 

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Use of Vapes Among Young People in Great Britain. ASH Fact Sheet, July 2025. 

Evans, S. et al. (2024). University of Surrey research on vaping, sleep quality and mental health in young people. Published in Healthcare. 

Lee, D.N., Kim, H.M., Stevens, E.M. (2024). Association of vaping reasons with stress, anxiety, and depression among young adults who currently vape. Substance Use & Misuse, 60(2):188-194. 

Mantey, D.S., Clendennen, S.I., Sumbe, A., Wilkinson, A.V., Harrell, M.B. (2022). Perceived stress and E-cigarette use during emerging adulthood: A longitudinal examination of initiation, progression, and continuation. Preventive Medicine, 160:107080. 

Public Health Agency Northern Ireland. Behavioural insights into youth vaping in Northern Ireland. May 2025. 

Truth Initiative. Many young people turn to nicotine to deal with stress, anxiety and depression, but don’t know it may be making them feel worse. October 2021. 

Truth Initiative. Colliding Crises: Youth Mental Health and Nicotine Use. Survey, 2021