According to BaotinTUCJuly 18, according to data from the Australian Department of Health, between 2022 and 2023, an average of one-third of Australian high school students will smoke e-cigarettes.
Becky Freeman, associate Professor leader at the University of Sydney’s School of Public Health, said e-cigarette use among high school students had risen sharply in recent years, particularly around the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools were closed and the public health focus shifted to outbreak control. Disposable high-nicotine e-cigarette products have become extremely popular in Australia.
Freeman believes that part of the reason for the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people is that these products are marketed as different from traditional cigarettes. In addition, traditional cigarettes are expensive and carry graphic health warnings, while e-cigarettes do not, and young people perceive e-cigarettes as safe and socially acceptable.
Professor Freeman also pointed out that although the law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes in retail outlets other than pharmacies, in practice “black market” sales make it easy for teenagers to access these products.