The rate of Australian teens aged 14 to 17 who are picking up vaping is at an all-time low, according to new data from the Cancer Council NSW.
It comes afterbanning the sale of all vapes outside of a pharmacy came into effect last year.
Experts say that while the results show “early indicators of [the laws’] success,” continued enforcement is needed to ensure these trends continue.
Background
From July last year, selling any kind of vape outside of a pharmacy became illegal. Flavours were also limited to tobacco, mint, and menthol.
From October, adults over 18 without a prescription could only buy nicotine vapes from select pharmacies. Minors still require a prescription to legally access vapes.
The Cancer Council NSW’shas conducted six national surveys of people aged between 14 and 17 since 2022. The latest survey included around 3,000 teens in the last three months of 2024.
Access
A little over a quarter of teens who vaped from October to December 2024 reported buying their own vape — an 11% decrease from before the last phase of the new laws.
The majority of teens who bought vapes for themselves reported a tobacconist or vape store sold it to them illegally.
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Buying a vape from a friend remained one of the most popular ways teens accessed vapes.
Overall, 85.7% of teens said they had never vaped, the highest result since surveys began.
Attitudes
Teens also reported reduced vaping in their social circle, with fewer young people reporting “most of my friends vape”.
The number of young people who said “none of my friends vape” is now at its highest level since 2022.
General awareness about the harms of vaping has increased, with 82% of those surveyed believing vapes are unsafe and can harm their brains. Around nine in 10 teens believed vapes could damage their lungs.
Monitoring
Lead researcher Professor Becky Freeman said while the legislative changes have been “having a positive impact on reducing adolescent vaping”, further monitoring and enforcement must continue.
“Unless importers and retailers know they will be subject to heavy penalties and loss of license to operate, they will continue to defy the laws,” Freeman said.
