Key Points
- Prevalence of vaping in under 18s is well documented in Australia.
- Turning off the tap for legal sale of vaping products may not deter access if black market availability continues.
- Being addicted to nicotine without realising could be a reason making it hard for a teenager to quit vaping.
Access to vaping products has become increasingly restricted in Australia.
Health Minister Mark Butler, has described vaping as “major public health issue” and “the number one behavioural issue in many schools,” which has created a "".
According to , one in three Australian secondary school students used e-cigarettes in 2022/2023.
Becky Freeman is an Associate Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health.
She has been leading the Generation Vape Project, a study investigating young people’s beliefs and behaviours around vaping and says the prevalence of the use of e-cigarettes in teenagers is well documented.
“We also know that this number has skyrocketed in recent years, particularly when you look at the pre and post COVID time when schools were shut down and all public health attention was really focused on COVID.”
Experts say that the vaping industry has been targeting young people with disposable vaping products which are often flavoured and coloured. Credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images
"If your average 14-year-old finds it incredibly easy to get a vape, it's not really much of a black market. It's more of an open market. And that's why we're really focusing on addressing access.”
Vaping products have been around for several years now.
Prof Freeman believes that one of the reasons they have grown in popularity amongst young people is that they are marketed as being different to smoking.
“Particularly young people, they're really anti-smoking. They've absorbed those messages [that] cigarettes are really expensive, they have the graphic health warnings on them, you can't really smoke anywhere...
“But when you look at vaping, youth don't see it that way. They see it as safe, as socially acceptable or something fun, and the vaping industry has been hugely successful in their misinformation campaigns about just how harmful and how addictive these products are.”
Vaping health risks
Professor Nick Zwar is the chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners Expert Advisory Group that puts together the guidelines for health practitioners supporting people with stopping smoking.
He says most vaping products contain nicotine, even if when they’re not labelled as such.
“When the Therapeutic Goods Administration and other groups have tested vaping devices labelled as not having nicotine, between 80 and 90 per cent have had nicotine in them.”
Prof Zwar explains that there are still health risks in non-nicotine containing vapes.
It is estimated that about 1/3 of teenagers across Australia have at least tried vaping. Source: Moment RF / Daniel Lozano Gonzalez/Getty Images
“The extent of those harms is still not clear.”
When it comes to nicotine products, nicotine is the main culprit, particularly for young people.
“One of the big concerns is its effect on the developing nervous system and particularly the developing brain,” Prof Zwar says.
Parents and teachers should ensure young people realise that nicotine is highly addictive Credit: fotostorm/Getty Images
Available support
In Australia, Quitline is a nation-wide phone and online counselling service for help to quit smoking or vaping. Branches operate at each state and territory through a common hotline 13 QUIT (13 7848).
Rachael Andersen, Director of Quit Victoria, says there is no one way to quit vaping.
“The simple answer to that is it's unique for everybody. But people do experience similar symptoms and the process of nicotine withdrawal is very similar both across vaping and smoking.”
Network support will be enough for some young people, while others need help from a medical professional to overcome nicotine addiction, Prof Zwar explains.
“Some young people will simply decide that they can stop with support of family and friends or with you know delay, distract, drink water, do something else, that sort of approach, or contacting the Quitline.”
Health experts say non-nicotine vapes also impact our health, due to the aerosols produced when vaporising the e-cigarette liquid, consisting primarily of glycerine and propylene glycol. Source: Moment RF / Martina Paraninfi/Getty Images
“Young people in particular, have probably not been exposed to highly addictive habits and behaviours before, so they're probably not realising the consequences of what they're actually doing when they start to take up vaping.”
So how can you help your teen quit vaping?
Prof Freeman from the University of Sydney, mother of a 12-year-old herself, suggests two key steps: keeping a positive dialogue going and seeking expert support.
“I think it’s really helpful to see young people as victims of the vaping industry rather than just being naughty or rebellious teens.
“I also really encourage parents to make a trip to your family GP who can offer support or see if there’s a school nurse or wellbeing liaison that you can talk to. There's also resources like the Quitline and the website.”
Parents can also get advice from a health professional or service on how to best support their teen on their quitting journey.
Quitline’s Ms Andersen says people should feel reassured that all Quitline calls are confidential and non-judgemental.
“They can really help to set out like a tailored plan. They can offer general information on supports that might be available. They can also provide advice about how to start a conversation and then how to direct them to the supports that they need.”
Ms Andersen advises framing a conversation with your child about vaping in a way that allows them to safely share their experience and not feel judged. Credit: Plan Shooting 2 / Imazins/Getty Images/ImaZinS RF
