More than a third of young Australians are using e-cigarettes, while nearly three-quarters of parents suspect their children are vaping, a new study has found. The easy availability of e-cigarettes by young people has led to a false perception among the public that these products are harmless.
Cancer Council Australia on Wednesday released the latest data from its ongoing national “Generation Vape” study, which tracks youth knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards e-cigarettes. The latest survey covered 1,700 young people aged 14 to 17 and 6,500 young people aged 18 to 24.
The study found that more than a third (36%) of youth are e-cigarette users, and almost three-quarters (73%) of youth who have used e-cigarettes are aware that e-cigarettes contain nicotine.
The study also surveyed 2,500 parents, with almost three-quarters (72%) suspecting their child had used a single-use e-cigarette. Five out of four parents (82%) say that stopping their children from vaping is their top priority. Three quarters (76 per cent) of 1,300 teachers in NSW said preventing students from vaping was their priority.
In addition, the study also found that one-third of teens who had never used e-cigarettes were curious about e-cigarettes.
In May, Australian Health Minister Mark Butler announced a ban on the import of both nicotine-containing and nicotine-free e-cigarettes and vaping products, allowing only licensed pharmacists to sell them to people with a doctor’s prescription. The regulation will force vaping shops to close and other retailers will have to remove all vaping products.