Wrapped in colourful packaging, sweet flavours and social media trends, vapes have taken over teenagers lives despite law restrictions.
Recent data shows that it has become increasingly popular and raises many concerns about mental health impacts and long term health consequences.
Ongoing data by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has shown a spike in vaping across Australia.
Whilst normal cigarette smoking has continued to decline rapidly over recent years, vaping has taken off, creating major concerns about nicotine dependency.
High School student, Jake Parsons, 17, said that at first vaping seemed harmless.
“I feel like I’m stuck with a habit that’s hard to break,” he said.
His thoughts are echoed across the country.
The graph shows that vaping for young people especially between the ages of 18 to 24 has skyrocketed, creating major health concerns, with more than one in five people currently engaged in this daily habit.
Many young people start vaping due to stress, low mood and/or feeling isolated, therefore developing a dependency on the nicotine found in vapes and causing an addiction.
Social media and peer pressure are two major reasons for young people being easily influenced and has normalised the behaviour.
Teenagers easily make the mistake of believing that vaping is less harmless than smoking, but health professionals argue otherwise.
While vaping may expose users to fewer toxins compared to cigarettes, it also carries significant health risks.
The Australian Government’s Department of Health said that “vaping can damage your lungs and the nicotine found in vapes can harm the brain, which is still developing and maturing into your mid to late 20s.”
Unfortunately teachers are witnessing the rise in young people vaping not only at high school but concerningly in primary school.
Primary school teacher, Kate Dale has described vaping as “a serious addiction problem” and reported students starting as early as year six.
“Students who are addicted to nicotine can struggle with concentration and become distracted, thinking about when they’ll next be able to vape,” she said.
“It can impact their engagement in lessons and overall wellbeing.”
According to the AIHW there is a long list of short term impacts.
Lung cancer, throat irritation, coughing, nausea, heart rate and blood pressure rising and nicotine dependence. Nicotine is addictive and can negatively impact your health, it releases a chemical called dopamine that makes you feel good. The more you vape the more your brain and body get used to nicotine and need more to get that same initial feeling. When you stop vaping your nicotine levels drop so your brain craves more of that dopamine which creates a vicious and harmful cycle.
Vapes within Australia are banned nationwide, yet statistics show that a large proportion of teenagers are able to purchase vapes due to the thriving “under the counter” scheme. It’s as easy as going to the shops and buying a red bull.
With the average packet of cigarettes costing more than $30, many Australians are turning to vapes as a cheaper option. The widespread availability of vapes, often sold in convenience stores on nearly every city block, has made them readily accessible for young ones.
This graph highlights the four main reasons why more young teens are leaning towards vapes. It identifies that many are trying it out of curiosity, however what starts as an experimentation quickly ends in becoming an addiction without realising the major effects it can and will have on themselves and their future.
The statistics are alarming as more and more teenagers are being drawn to what appears to be a harmless trend, despite the potential consequences for their future health and wellbeing and the government warnings.
In a news report Health Minister Mark Butler said vaping rates had exploded in the last five years.
“(Vapes) were sold to countries around the world as a therapeutic good that would allow hardened smokers, usually in middle age, to kick the habit if other attempts to kick smoking had not worked,” Mr Butler said.
Data shows a clear pattern, vaping has become deeply embedded in youth culture at a time where traditional smoking is on the decline. While government laws try to stop vaping from continuing, thousands of young people are using vapes daily, exposing themselves to many major health risks.
