Is vaping among young people getting better or worse? -- New, Miyu & Meri
1. Introduction
2. General -Miyu
1.2. Why is VAPE bad for young people?
1.3. Why are more and more people switching from cigarettes to VAPE?
<1.1. Why are e-cigarettes increasing recently?>
1. Curiosity and Experimentation
- Over 50% of teens said they started vaping simply because they "wanted to try it."
- It often begins out of curiosity or peer influence, not addiction at first.
- Many young people vape because they feel bored, stressed, or want to have fun.
- For example, surveys found that:
- 23.5% vape because they're bored
- 22% because it's enjoyable
- 21.6% to relax
- In New Zealand, 23% of youth vape every day, and 42% vape several times a day.
- Some even wake up at night to vape, showing strong signs of nicotine addiction.
- A study in Australia showed that young people with childhood trauma were 64% more likely to vape.
- For some, vaping becomes a coping mechanism to deal with anxiety, depression, or emotional pain.
- Vaping is linked to impulsive behaviour, mood swings, anxiety, and depression in adolescents.
- Nicotine can worsen emotional regulation in the developing brain, making users feel even more unstable.
- Some teens engage in “modding” or hacking their vapes, refilling cartridges or even mixing dangerous substances (e.g. THC or oils), which increases health risks dramatically.
- In New Zealand, over 70% of young vapers get their products from friends, and 25% buy them in stores, sometimes bypassing age restrictions.
- This means social circles play a major role in access.
- Teens who use social media for 7+ hours a day are 4 times more likely to vape.
- Influencers, ads, and vape tricks/videos normalise vaping and make it seem trendy.
1. It Affects Brain Development
- Young people's brains are still developing until around the age of 25.
- Nicotine in vapes can interfere with memory, attention, and learning.
- It may also increase the risk of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.
- Many vapes contain high levels of nicotine, which is highly addictive.
- Once addicted, it becomes hard to quit, and young users may move on to cigarettes or other substances later.
- Vaping can cause lung irritation and even serious conditions like "popcorn lung" or vaping-related lung injuries.
- Some cases have led to hospitalisation, especially with illegal or modified vape products.
- Vaping is relatively new, so the long-term health impacts are still unclear.
- We may discover more serious consequences in the future, which makes it a risky choice.
- Using vapes can make other risky behaviours (like smoking or drug use) seem more acceptable.
- It can also negatively influence school performance, motivation, and relationships.
- Many young people think vaping is harmless, but many products contain harmful chemicals like heavy metals, formaldehyde, or flavouring agents not meant to be inhaled.
- Unregulated or cheap vape products can be especially dangerous.
1. Awareness of Health Risks
- Traditional cigarettes are widely known to be harmful to health.
- Many young people believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking, even though it can still contain toxic substances.
- This "healthier alternative" image attracts those who want to avoid the risks of tobacco.
- Vapes come in a wide range of flavours like fruit, mint, and desserts.
- These flavours make vaping more enjoyable and easier to start, especially for those who dislike the smell or taste of cigarettes.
- Many young people are influenced by social media influencers, YouTubers, or friends who use vapes.
- Seeing others vape can make it feel normal or trendy, leading them to try it out themselves.
- In some countries, vapes are easier for minors to access, especially through online shops or unofficial sellers.
- Some vaping products are cheaper than traditional cigarettes, which makes them more accessible to teenagers.
- Vaping is not risk-free, and the long-term health effects are still not fully understood.
- Some vapes contain high levels of nicotine, which can lead to addiction, especially among young users.
3. International -Meri
- In New Zealand, regular youth vaping declined by 19% from 2021 to 2023
- In Canada, current youth vaping decreased by 15.8% from 2019 to 2022
- In the US, current youth vaping fell dramatically by 61% in 4 years, from 2019 to 2023
- In Australia, current youth vaping was still rising in 2023
- In England, current youth vaping was still increasing in 2021
- In Great Britain, current youth vaping plateaued from 2023 to 2024
4. New Zealnd -New
According to the ARFNZ/SPANZ/NZAIMS vaping in NZ youth survey report in 2024, they made an online survey that was targeted at secondary school (Year 7-13)(Ages 10-18) students which was voluntary and anonymous. This survey was conducted during school term 3 of 2024. The total number of respondents were 11,319 students from 45 schools.
The graph shows the sources of vaping products that the responding students between Year 7 to 13 commonly got their vapes from family, friends, a vape store, a dairy, internet or a petrol station. As we can see from the graph that the most common source that the students got their vapes was from friends which was approximately 70% among the respondent students. However, the percentage of vaping students who got their vapes from family constantly declined as they were older, for example, it was continuely dropped to 15% for student Year 13. However, the students were likely to buy vapes from a vape store and a dairy as they got older except, the students Year 7. In addition, the Year 7 students had an overall significant amount of vaping comparing to other year students.
According to this graph, we can see that most of the students between Year 7 to 13 or the ages between 10 to 18 got their vapes from friends. One of the main reasons could be because the New Zealand legal age restriction of buying vaping products is 18 years old. As a result, they would have to get vaping products from their friends who were legal to buy them which was worrying issues because these were very young students and they might be influence by their surrounding friends who vaped which they might not truly know the harmful effects of vaping. Moreover, according to some part of the report, they mentioned about a New Zealand study by Hobbs et al that there were more vape stores close to schools. About 30% of vape stores were within 400 meters of a school and 71% of them were within 800 meters. Even though, in September 2023, New Zealand applied a new law that new specialist vape retailers (SVRs) were not allowed to locate a shop within 300 meters of schools. Nevertheless, this new law do not apply to existing SVRs or retailers such as diaries. As a result, these might affect to young students who probably thought that vapes were easily accessible. Therefore, this supported to the data that there were a significant amount of vaping students in Year 13 or about 18 years old who got vapes from a vape store and a diary. In addition, the Year 7 students had an overall significant amount of vaping when we compare among the ages. This might be because these students were very young and full of curiosity resulting in wanting to try. (Revised:5/7/2025)
5. Conclusion
6. References(Access:3/7/2025)
- Asthma Respiratory "Vaping - Some More Facts"
https://www.asthmafoundation.org.nz/your-health/e-cigarettes-and-vaping/vaping-some-more-facts - Vaping Facts
https://vapingfacts.health.nz/ - KFF Health News "Vaping By The Numbers"
https://kffhealthnews.org/news/vaping-by-the-numbers/ - Dr Colin Mendelsohn HP "Youth vaping rates higher in Australia than other countries"
https://colinmendelsohn.com.au/youth-prevalence/ - The ARFNZ/SPANZ/NZAIMS vaping in NZ youth survey
https://www.asthmafoundation.org.nz/assets/documents/2024-report-into-youth-vaping.pdf
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