Australia: Study highlights rise in vaping among young people

A recently published study shows that vaping rates among under-30s have increased sharply in Australia since 2019. Health authorities and the public are calling for more effective action to be taken to combat the problem.

Vaping rates among young Australians are reaching higher-than-expected peaks, according to a study published March 26, 2023 in the Journal of Public Health Australia and New Zealand.[1]Conducted on a representative sample of 1,006 people aged 15 to 30, this study aims to measure the extent of consumption of these products among young people and to identify the determinants of this consumption.

The prevalence rate of 15-24 year olds reporting regular use of e-cigarettes is 14%, significantly higher than the 4.5% rate found for the same age group in a similar 2019 study by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.[2].

Disposable e-cigarettes are the most popular products among vapers: 60% of them have used them, and this figure reaches 80% among 15-21 year-olds. The first reason given by 61% of these young consumers to explain their use is the fact that their friends and relatives also use them.

Lead author of the study, Professor Simone Pettigrew, said the increasing use of e-cigarettes by young adults was worrying. “Our study shows that there is a need for much more rigorous monitoring and enforcement of Australia’s e-cigarette regulations to minimise the harms of vaping on young people.” She also stressed the importance of focusing on environments where young people see others vaping, including schools, colleges and universities, and educating them about the dangers associated with vaping.

Fight against youth vaping made a national health priority

The authors of the study warn of the health consequences of these products on young people.

In April, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler will meet with tobacco control experts to discuss reforms to vaping product legislation that have been recommended to the government by the medicines regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), following a public consultation completed in January[3].

The results of this consultation highlight a demand from young people themselves for the Australian government to help them break the spiral of addiction to vaping products.[4]. 950 adolescents aged 13 to 19 who took part in the consultation are calling for more restrictions to make access to products more difficult. This includes banning the importation of vaping products containing nicotine, as well as strengthening testing and certification for authorised products. The TGA is recommending the introduction of plain packaging for e-cigarettes, based on the model of cigarette packets introduced in the country since 2012.

Keywords: Australia, vaping, youth, e-cigarette, health, regulation, restrictions.

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[1] Simone Pettigrew et al, E-cigarette attitudes and use in a sample of Australians aged 15–30 years, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2023)

[2] National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, July 2020

[3] 'Overwhelming' support for regulation of vape imports amid 'health emergency', TGA reports, The Guardian, published March 23, 2023, accessed March 28, 2023

[4] Australian teenagers urge government to help them break vaping addiction, The Guardian, published March 26, 2023, accessed March 28, 2023

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