Vape brain: campaign to tackle youth vaping across Hertfordshire

With the disposable vape ban coming in on 1 June 2025, Public Health are launching a new campaign to help tackle youth vaping across Hertfordshire.

The campaign, supported by youth councils, aims to increase knowledge and understanding about the mental health effects of addiction to nicotine vapes and help young people make informed (and hopefully healthy) choices. The campaign will be called ‘Vape Brain’ and will be shared via social media, specifically Tik Tok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube and gaming platforms. If any students have given up vaping and would be willing to share their story with us as part of this campaign please contact smokefree.hertfordshire@hertfordshire.gov.uk

Public Health are also working with local college students to build a large sculpture of a head and/or brain made of vape boxes and disused vape casings. This ties in with the campaign concept that focuses on the brain (‘vape brain’ or the vaping brain’) to represent the impact that vaping (with nicotine) has on young people’s mental wellbeing and concentration.

The plan is for this sculpture to start a conversation about the risks associated with vaping and be an education aid in schools, helping to raise awareness. The sculpture will be toured round schools and other organisations working with young people from September, with a supporting resource of a lesson pack to help with the delivery of awareness sessions and discussion groups to young people.

If you would like to get your school involved and have the sculpture visit you, please express your initial interest by emailing smokefree.hertfordshire@hertfordshire.gov.uk