Report reveals Australian teen vaping rates have declined

According to the latest data from the Generation Vape study conducted by the Cancer Council in Australia, measures to combat the sale and advertising of e-cigarettes are beginning to produce positive effects among adolescents. This study, conducted in collaboration with the University of Sydney and the Daffodil Centre, has been following a sample of 3,000 young people aged 14 to 17 since February 2022, through biannual surveys.[1].

A notable drop in vaping among Australian teenagers

Between February 2023 (wave 4) and April 2025 (wave 8), the proportion of adolescents aged 14 to 17 reporting vaping decreased from 17.5 % to 14.6 %. At the same time, the proportion of those who had never smoked increased from 92.2 % to 94 %. The use of nicotine pouches also decreased slightly, from 2.1 % to 1.9 %, since their introduction in the survey questions.

Young people surveyed also expressed a loss of interest in vaping, both personally and socially. Some said that being identified as a vaper is increasingly less valued: It's not a flattering label. " said one participant, while another indicated: " It used to be cooler... now it's kind of disgusting. ".

In South Australia, vaping-related school suspensions have fallen by 50% since the new laws were introduced. In the first quarter of 2023, the number of suspensions stood at 388. This number fell to 186 in the first quarter of 2024, and the downward trend of 50% continued throughout the second and third quarters of that year.

Strict regulatory reforms in the background

These developments come amid a significant tightening of Australian vaping legislation. Disposable e-cigarettes have been banned since January 2024. In July 2024, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) restricted the sale of e-cigarettes to pharmacies upon presentation of an ID card and banned all forms of advertising. In October 2024, new requirements regarding devices, ingredients, packaging, and labeling were introduced.

People under 18 can only have access to e-cigarettes with a medical prescription, and sales at tobacconists and gas stations are prohibited, regardless of their nicotine content.

Meanwhile, the TGA and Australian Customs have seized more than 10 million illicit products since the beginning of 2024 as part of this enhanced market control policy.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said youth vaping rates have fallen sharply, saying this is the result of strict regulations and a 12-month campaign to crack down on the illegal sale of vaping products. Our education and prevention campaigns, as well as the help we provide to discourage people from starting to smoke or vape, or to help them quit, make a difference. " said Mr. Butler[2].

Effects welcomed by health professionals

Dr. Tim Jones, chair of the child and adolescent health section of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, welcomed the study's findings. He noted that regulation may have played a role, but he also noted growing awareness among young people, with vaping increasingly perceived as unattractive and problematic.

According to him, this development comes despite the lack of long-term data on the effects of vaping. He is pleased that adolescents appear to trust health professionals on this issue. Furthermore, he notes with satisfaction that the use of nicotine pouches has not replaced that of e-cigarettes, contrary to initial fears.

For Dr. Jones, these results show that awareness-raising efforts, combined with legislative measures, are paying off. The Oceanian country has not hesitated to use all possible forms of prevention, for example, calling on influencers to warn young people against vaping. Thus the idea that vaping is a safe alternative to tobacco is now widely questioned.

Despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use, the country remains highly engaged in this area and in the area of new products being introduced. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in Australia, killing more than 24,000 people prematurely each year.

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[1]Freeman B., Egger S., Rose S., Brooks A., Madigan C., Dssaisx A., Vaping and Young People: Assessing Early Impacts of Australia's Comprehensive Approach to Vaping Product Control, Generation Vape, Cancer Prevention and Advocacy Division, Cancer Council New South Wales, published July 2025, accessed 16 July 2025

[2]Sharma Shweta, Teenage vaping in Australia has 'turned a corner' after ban, study says, Independent, published July 16, 2025, accessed July 16, 2025

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