First-of-its-kind support launches to tackle youth vaping in Derbyshire

A new specialist service is being launched in some Derbyshire secondary schools to help young people break free from vaping and smoking.

Vibe is the first dedicated smoking and vaping cessation service for young people in Derbyshire.

Funded by Derbyshire County Council’s Public Health team and delivered by Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Foundation Trust (DCHS), the service is initially available in ten secondary schools.

The launch comes amid ongoing concerns about youth vaping, with an estimated 3,000 Derbyshire pupils vaping regularly and around 750 smoking regularly.

Councillor Dan Price, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities and Safety, said: “Too many young people are becoming addicted to nicotine through smoking or vaping, often without fully understanding the impact it can have on their health and wellbeing.

“Vibe is the first service of its kind in Derbyshire and will give young people the practical support, encouragement and confidence they need to quit. By providing specialist support directly in schools, we can reach young people early, help prevent long-term harm and support our ambition for Derbyshire to become smoke-free by 2030.”

Students aged 12 to 18 who have agreed to be referred to the new service and who want to quit will receive free, confidential support from specially trained advisers, including one-to-one coaching, quit planning, behaviour change support and nicotine replacement therapy where appropriate.

While vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and can help adult smokers quit, it is not risk-free and should not be used by children and young people.

Bek Byron, a Derbyshire Specialist Community Public Health Nurse, who is leading the Vibe project, said: “We are excited to launch Vibe and offer young people an approachable, accessible and confidential service to help them stop smoking or vaping.

“We understand that quitting can be challenging, which is why Vibe provides personalised support, encouragement and practical tools to help young people succeed.

“Our aim is to empower young people to make positive choices for their health and wellbeing and support them every step of their quit journey. Even if a young person isn’t ready to quit yet, they can come to us and talk about their options and how we can support them.”

Young people looking for help to stop smoking or vaping can:

• Text a Derbyshire Public Health Nurse through the free and confidential ChatHealth service on 07507 330025
• Visit their school’s Public Health Nurse drop-in session, where available
• Contact their local Public Health Nurse
• Get free advice and support from Live Life Better Derbyshire

Support is available even if their school is not participating in the VIBE programme.