London teenagers are the least likely to vape, drink or take drugs of any region in England, new figures have revealed as ministers announced a ban on disposable vapes would come into force next summer.
The latest data from NHS Digital shows that just one in five (21%) children aged 11 to 15 had tried alcohol in 2023, by far the lowest proportion in the country.
It is half the figure reported in the North East (43%) and 16% lower than the national average.
London children were also by far the least likely to have vaped, with just 18% of teenagers saying they had to used an e-cigarette last year. This is 7% below the national average.
It comes as new legislation to ban the sale of single-use vapes from June 1, 2025 was laid out in Parliament.
Businesses will have until the deadline “to sell any remaining stock they hold and prepare for the ban coming into force”.
Just 11% of Londoners in the age group said they had tried drugs, the joint-lowest figure along with the North West and East Midlands.
Only 1% of teenagers said they regularly smoked, which was consistent with figures reported in other regions.
The figures come amid debate over the Government’s proposal to ban smoking in outdoor spaces including pub gardens and restaurant terraces.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, tabled in the last parliament, will also prevent anyone born after January 1 2009 from legally smoking by gradually raising the age at which tobacco can be bought.
It also aimed to impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children amid fears that young people are being targeted by vape companies using colourful packaging and exotic flavours.
Experts say that banning disposable vapes is not likely to fix the problem as some brands have already launched reusable products.
Instead, they suggest, there should be stricter regulation around making the products look less appealing.
The latest national figures also suggest that the number of teenagers who vape has stalled.
A total of 9% of teenagers said they used e-cigarettes in 2023, the same figure reported two years earlier.
Last week, a study published by the Social Mobility Commission found that vaping, illegal drug use and drinking alcohol was more common among children from better-off families compared to less advantaged households.
Analysis by the World Health Organisation suggests that the UK has the worst rate of child alcohol abuse worldwide.
More than half of children in England, Scotland and Wales had drunk alcohol by the age of 13, according to a report released by the global agency.
