CANBERRA, Australia — A new research update suggests a promising downturn in vaping rates among school-aged children in Australia, roughly a year after a significant government ban on disposable vapes came into effect.
This indicates that stringent new regulations and enforcement efforts may be starting to yield positive results in curbing youth nicotine use.
According to the latest findings from Cancer Council Australia’s nationwide “Generation Vape” study, conducted by the University of Sydney and the Daffodil Centre, vaping rates among 14- to 17-year-olds decreased from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% by April of this year.
The comprehensive survey also observed a substantial reduction in vaping rates for individuals aged over 15, falling by more than a third.
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler expressed optimism about these developments, stating that vaping rates for young Australians “have now turned the corner.” He highlighted the extensive efforts by authorities, who have seized over 10 million illegal vapes in the past year alone.
In a statement, Minister Butler affirmed, “Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference.”
New laws implemented in July 2024 prohibited the manufacturing, importation, advertising, and supply of single-use vapes in Australia.
Currently, nicotine vapes can only be legally obtained with a prescription from pharmacies.
Despite these efforts, a thriving black market for nicotine vapes has persisted in the country for several years. The United Kingdom similarly banned the sale of disposable vapes from June of this year.
While vapes are generally considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes due to the absence of tobacco, health experts consistently advise that they are not entirely risk-free, and the long-term health implications of their use remain unclear.
Australian authorities, mirroring concerns in the UK, were particularly alarmed by the rapid uptake of vapes among young people, with Minister Butler arguing that these products were creating a new generation of nicotine addicts.
The most recent Generation Vape survey data, derived from a pool of approximately 3,000 children aged between 14 and 17, revealed that a significant 85.4% of young people had never vaped.
Encouragingly, less than a third of these teenagers expressed any interest in trying vaping, which the Cancer Council interprets as a clear decline in curiosity about the products.
Researchers also noted a shift in attitudes towards vaping among school-aged children, with interviews indicating that many current or former vapers now express feelings of shame or embarrassment regarding their vape use.
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Despite fewer teenagers reporting the ability to purchase vapes themselves, the study found that tobacconists and vape shops continue to be a primary source of vape sales, even in the face of the new laws.
Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Wednesday, Minister Butler expressed confidence that the “peak of vaping” is now behind Australia. He acknowledged, however, that the fight is far from over: “I know this is a really, really tough fight and we’ve got a lot more to do, not just in the area of vaping, but illicit tobacco as well.”
Tobacco use continues to be Australia’s leading cause of preventable death, claiming over 24,000 lives annually, despite the country maintaining some of the world’s strongest anti-smoking laws.
