Teenagers as young as 12 are being prescribed nicotine patches and gum on the NHS, with nearly 1,300 prescriptions issued to young people last year.
The concerning figures emerge as doctors provide nicotine replacement therapy to help adolescents combat their cravings, despite many being too young to legally purchase tobacco products.
Prescriptions are being issued against a backdrop of declining cigarette use among youth, but soaring rates of e-cigarette consumption.
NHS prescriptions for nicotine patches can cost up to £25, whilst nicotine gum ranges from £2 to £10 per prescription, depending on quantity.
Teenager being given nicotine gum by a doctor
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The treatments are costing the health service thousands of pounds annually to help children overcome nicotine addiction.
A typical nicotine patch treatment course lasts ten weeks, whilst gum and lozenges are used for immediate craving relief, with patients limited to 15 pieces daily.
In 2023, 246 prescriptions were issued specifically to under-16s, despite it being illegal to sell cigarettes or vapes to anyone under 18.
Lee Fernandes, lead therapist at addiction specialist UKAT Group, warned that nicotine addiction in young children poses serious health risks.
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“Children as young as 12 being addicted to nicotine is of real concern as it can lead to developmental abnormalities, stunting their ability to learn and play,” he said.
Fernandes highlighted that early nicotine use has been linked to behavioural disorders and increased likelihood of substance misuse in adulthood.
He called for more education in schools about smoking dangers, urging the Government to take action.
NHS figures reveal that just two per cent of 11- to 15-year-olds are current smokers, though 11 per cent have tried cigarettes at some point.
However, e-cigarette use among young people shows a concerning trend, with nine per cent of pupils currently using vapes.
The figures are particularly stark among 15-year-old girls, where vaping rates reach 22 per cent.
Prof Sanjay Agrawal, NHS England national speciality advisor for tobacco dependency, expressed alarm at underage smoking rates.
“We know that 200 to 300 young people each day experiment with or start smoking – and one in two adult long-term smokers will die from tobacco-related disease,” he said.
Woman taking nicotine gum
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He voiced support for the proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will raise the age of sale for tobacco products.
The NHS supports young people through licensed nicotine replacement therapies, helping hundreds of teenagers quit smoking annually.
A Government spokesman emphasised the administration’s commitment to tackling youth nicotine addiction.
“This Government is not prepared to stand by and allow a new generation of kids to get hooked on nicotine,” the spokesman said.
The landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to create the first smoke-free generation in Britain.
The Government will also implement a ban on single-use vapes from June, as part of what it describes as “the biggest public health intervention in a generation.”
