New government campaign calls on parents to talk to children in a timely manner about the harmful effects of vaping.
Vaping is not only toxic, it also disrupts brain development and becomes addictive very quickly. Research among 12- to
16-year-olds, conducted by Motivaction on behalf of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS), shows that a quarter of them have already vaped. This is almost one in ten (7%) of 12-year-olds. Nearly one in three young people aged 12 to 16 who vape do so every day. The new national information campaign ‘No to vaping’ started in May. The campaign is out on
aimed at informing parents about the harmful effects of vaping, talking about it in a timely manner with their children and saying no to vaping together. The campaign is part of the Action Plan against vaping of State Secretary Vincent Karremans (Youth, Prevention and Sport).
Many young people experience vape addiction
The fact that vaping is addictive is confirmed in the Motivaction study commissioned by VWS. Of the vaping 12 to 16-year-olds in this study, 38 percent reported being addicted to vaping. “Young people quickly become addicted to vaping, without even realizing it,” says Prof. Dr. Arnt Schellekens, National Rapporteur on Addictions and professor of addiction and psychiatry at Radboud university medical center. “The brains of young people respond more strongly to reward than those of adults, making them less resistant to temptation and subsequently becoming addicted more quickly and intensely.”
Parents play a crucial role in the ‘No to vaping’ campaign
The image above visually shows the approximately 20,000 (one in ten) twelve-year-old children who have ever vaped on the Malieveld in The Hague. The virtually filled Malieveld shows the extent of the problem. The campaign calls on parents to be informed about the harmful effects of vaping and encourages them to talk to their child about vaping in a timely manner with the help of concrete tools. State Secretary Karremans: “Many parents wrongly have an image that vapes are less harmful than cigarettes. Together we must eliminate this as quickly as possible. We know from research that you as a parent can play a crucial role in preventing your child from starting vaping. You really have more influence than you might think.” For tips, seeneetegenvapen.nl.
A national parents’ evening will also be organized on Wednesday evening, October 1, 2025.Click here to register.
Action plan against vaping
The information campaign is part of a broader Action Plan against vaping that State Secretary Karremans presented in mid-March. The plan focuses on three tracks: combating illegal trade, preventing young people from starting to vape, and encouraging cessation of vaping and supporting vapers in doing so. The action plan includes additional powers and extra money for the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority to combat the growing illegal trade.
