In short

Finding a vape in your daughter's bag is unsettling, but it's common: a quarter of 11 to 15 year olds in England have tried vaping. 

It's less harmful than smoking but not risk-free, and nicotine is highly addictive for teenage brains. 

A calm, curious conversation beats confrontation, and a doctor can help if she struggles to stop.

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Why is my teenage daughter vaping?

Most teens vape because the people around them do. 

Having friends or family who vape is one of the strongest predictors of a teen picking it up.

A quarter of 11 to 15 year olds in England have tried vaping, and 9% vape regularly or occasionally, according to NHS figures. 

That's up from 6% in 2018.

Vapes are also designed in ways that appeal to teens. 

A 2025 systematic review found that sweet flavours and the sense that vaping is low-risk are among the main reasons teens start and keep going.

For some girls, vaping becomes a way to manage stress or fit in socially. 

If you suspect that's part of the picture, talking to your teen about mental health can open up the conversation behind the conversation.

It can help to see vaping as part of a wider pattern of products aimed at teens, alongside energy drinks and caffeine or nicotine pouches known as upper deckies. 

The marketing is bright, the products are pocket-sized, and the health questions come second.

How harmful is vaping for my daughter?

The NHS is clear: vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it is not harmless, and it's not for under-18s. 

The biggest known risk for your daughter is nicotine addiction.

Most vapes contain nicotine. 

Because mental development is ongoing in the teen years, their brains are more sensitive to nicotine's addictive effects than an adult's brain.

The more often she vapes, and the stronger the nicotine, the stronger the pull becomes.

Vaping also exposes her to some toxins, and the honest answer on long-term effects is that nobody knows yet. 

Vapes simply haven't existed long enough.

How do I talk to my daughter about vaping without making it worse?

Calm and curious beats angry and accusatory. 

The goal of the first conversation isn't to make her quit on the spot: it's to keep her talking to you.

Some approaches parents find helpful:

• Pick a relaxed moment, not the moment you find the vape
• Ask what she thinks about vaping before you share what you think
• Stick to facts rather than fear, like nicotine addiction and the unknowns
• Acknowledge why it's appealing: flavours, friends, stress relief
• Agree to come back to the conversation rather than resolving it in one go

Health experts advise keeping the focus on facts partly because lectures and scare tactics can accidentally make vaping seem more rebellious and appealing.

If she clams up with you, she may still want answers from somewhere trustworthy. 

luna gives teen girls a space to explore health topics like this at her own pace, with content reviewed by medical experts.

Is vaping illegal for under-18s in the UK?

Selling nicotine vapes to under-18s is illegal in the UK, and so is buying them on a teen's behalf. 

It's also now illegal to sell disposable vapes anywhere in the UK.

That said, your daughter isn't breaking the law by vaping; the law targets the sellers. 

If you know a local shop is selling vapes to under-18s, you can report the retailer to Trading Standards through Citizens Advice.

Knowing the law can be a useful, neutral way into the conversation. 

It also explains why someone, often an older friend, is supplying the vapes, which you may want to gently explore with her.

How can I help my daughter stop vaping?

If she's been vaping regularly, stopping can be genuinely hard, so patience matters more than pressure. 

Nicotine withdrawal can make her irritable, restless and low for a while.

Things that can support her:

• A doctor can offer practical, judgement-free help with quitting and check anything else that's worrying her
• The NHS points under-18s to FRANK, a free and confidential drugs information service, for honest facts about vapes and nicotine
• Cutting down gradually works better for some teens than stopping overnight
• Slips are normal, and most people need several attempts before a habit sticks at zero

Her reasons for vaping matter as much as the vaping itself. 

If stress, anxiety, or friendship pressure sit underneath it, those are the threads worth pulling first.

FAQs

Should I punish my daughter for vaping?

That's your call to make. 

Many parents find that harsh punishment drives the habit underground rather than stopping it, and that consequences land better when they're paired with an open conversation about why she's vaping.

Can my daughter really get addicted to vaping?

Yes. 

Most vapes contain nicotine, and research shows vape dependence can be as strong as cigarette dependence. 

Teenage brains are more sensitive to nicotine's addictive effects than adult brains.

Will vaping lead my daughter to smoking?

Not necessarily, but young people who vape are more likely to ever smoke later in life. 

Whether vaping causes that, or the same teens are simply drawn to both, isn't yet clear.

What if she says everyone at school vapes?

She's probably not exaggerating how it feels, but the numbers say otherwise: around 1 in 4 of 11 to 15 year olds in England have ever tried vaping, and fewer than 1 in 10 vape regularly or occasionally. 

Most of her year group doesn't vape.

Where to go from here

Finding out your daughter vapes doesn't mean you've missed something or that she's heading off the rails. 

It usually means she's a teenager surrounded by other teenagers, and a patient conversation is the best first step.

If vaping sits alongside bigger changes in her mood or behaviour, such as lying about where she was or sneaking out at night, it may be worth gently exploring the deeper issues.

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