Australian school children are decreasing their use of vapes, following a government ban on disposable vapes implemented a year earlier.
Cancer Council Australia’s Generation Vape study reported a decline in vaping among 14 to 17-year-olds from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% in April of this year.
The survey also noted a reduction of over a third in vaping rates among individuals aged over 15.
Australian Health Minister Mark Butler stated that vaping among young Australians “has now declined,” noting that authorities have confiscated more than 10 million illicit vapes in the past year.
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<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">"Our efforts in education, prevention, and support to discourage vaping and smoking, as well as to encourage quitting, are proving effective," he stated.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">Legislation passed in July 2024 prohibited the production, import, advertising, and supply of single-use vapes in Australia. Nicotine vapes can now only be purchased with a prescription from pharmacies. However, a black market for nicotine vapes has been operational for years.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">The UK imposed a similar ban on disposable vapes in June.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">Vapes are viewed as safer than tobacco cigarettes since they do not contain tobacco, but health professionals caution that they are not risk-free and the long-term consequences are still unknown.</p>
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<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">The fear of youth uptake of vaping prompted authorities in Australia and the UK to take action, with Mr. Butler warning that vapes were creating a new generation of nicotine addicts.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">The Generation Vape survey showed that 85.4% of young people (out of about 3,000 aged 14 to 17) have never vaped.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">Only a minority of teenagers expressed interest in vaping, showing a decreasing curiosity about vaping products.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">The researchers also noted a change in attitudes towards vaping among young people, with many current or former vapers admitting to feelings of shame or embarrassment about their vaping.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">While fewer teenagers are now able to purchase vapes independently, tobacconists and vape shops continue to be key sources of vape sales, despite the new laws.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">Mr. Butler expressed confidence that Australia has passed the high point of vaping and acknowledged the ongoing challenge of combatting not only vaping but also illicit tobacco use.</p>
<p class="sc-9a00e533-0 hxuGS">Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in Australia, despite stringent anti-smoking laws, claiming over 24,000 lives annually.</p>
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