Young Australians are vaping and using illicit drugs more, according to new research.
An Australian government study has revealed 63 per cent of current smokers aged 14 to 17 have tried e-cigarettes.
The study found sixty-five per cent of young people aged 14-17 had never smoked when they first tried e-cigarettes, and 34 per cent were current smokers, with recent vape crackdowns there is hope that these numbers will decrease.
Ryley Cowan, 20, said he started smoking when he was 13 due to the influence of friends and curiosity.
“Due to family reasons I had to stay with a mate, he already smoked and always seemed happy, so I tried it just to chill out and forget about my stressors,” Mr Cowan said.
“I used it as my own form of antidepressant.”
The research found curiosity was the reason most young people aged 14-17 common reason tried e-cigarettes (73%).
The Australian youth’s curiosity isn’t however limited to just e-cigarettes, with 66 percent stating curiosity as the reason they were influenced to first use an illicit substance.
Including non-medical use of pharmaceuticals, 24 percent of people aged 14-24 engaged in the illicit use of drugs.
Males were more likely to engage in the illicit use of drugs than females (27 percent and 21 percent, respectively)
Fourteen to 17 year-olds were 9.7 percent more likely to engage in the illicit use of drugs, with the most commonly used drugs (excluding pharmaceuticals) being cannabis (19.7 percent), ecstasy (7.6 percent), and cocaine (7.3 percent).
The most common pharmaceuticals used for non-medical purposes were pain-killers/pain-relievers and opioids (2.5 percent) and tranquillisers/sleeping pills (1.9 percent)
Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use researcher Dr Steph Kershaw told the ABC there was help available for those affected by drug-use, their families, and communities.
“It’s never too early or too late to seek support. It can take people some time to find the support that they need, but they aren’t alone,” she said.
While the number of youth using illicit drugs is beginning to drop, support for youth using these illicit substances is available. For those facing issues with nicotine and e-cigarettes, there is also a range of services available.
If you or a loved one needs support, there are harm reduction services throughout Australia that can help connect you with a peer support worker:
- National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline: 1800 250 015 —24/7 information, counselling, support, referrals, and free confidential advice
- Alcohol and Drug support line: 1800 198 024 — 24/7 confidential, non-judgemental telephone counselling, information, and referrals
- Alcoholics Anonymous: 1300 222 222
- Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
- Lifeline: 13 11 14
- Search for services near you with Path2Help, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation’s free, online platform
