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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Drop in school children vaping since Australian ban: study
Australia's health minister, Mark Butler, has attributed a ban on disposable vapes to a significant reduction in vaping rates among school-aged children. The Generation Vape Research Project by Cancer Council reported that vaping among 14-17 year olds decreased from 17.5 per cent to 14 per cent between early 2023 and April this year. The government's 12-month campaign against illegal vape sales has resulted in the seizure of over 10 million illicit vapes, valued at half a billion dollars, in the past year. Although some vapes continue to enter the country, the ban has made disposable vapes more difficult to acquire and substantially increased their price, positively influencing young people. The ban aims to counter the targeting of children by the vape market and disrupt profits for organised crime, with the UK also implementing a similar ban on disposable vapes.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Health
- The Independent
Teenage vaping in Australia has ‘turned a corner' after ban, study says
Vaping among school-age children has significantly reduced, the Australian government has said, citing a study, a year after a ban on disposable vapes. Australian health minister Mark Butler on Wednesday said vaping rates "have now turned the corner" for young children, calling it a result of their 12-month campaign to crack down on the illegal sale of vapes. The nationwide Generation Vape Research Project by Cancer Council conducted an anonymous survey of 3,000 young Australians. Among children aged 14-17 years, vaping rates have fallen from 17.5 per cent to 14 per cent from the start of 2023 to April this year, it has found. Overall, smoking rates among people aged over 15 fell by more than a third, while vaping rates among those aged 30 to 59 dropped by nearly half. 'Vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner. Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference', Mr Butler said. Mr Butler said vaping products still "leak" through the border despite their crackdown. "From the time we put this ban in place we never pretended we'd be able to stop every vape coming in," he said. "But we do know that it is harder to get your hands on a disposable vape … that's led to a very significant increase in the price of vapes where they are still accessible, and that's having a positive impact on young people." He said authorities have seized more than 10 million illegal vapes in the past year. The Therapeutic Goods Authority and Australian Border Force (ABF) said the 10 million vapes – half a billon dollars worth of vapes – were taken off the market. Additional seizures included 2.5 billion cigarette sticks and 435 tonnes of illicit tobacco. "It's a market that targets our communities including our children," ABF Assistant Commissioner Tony Smith said. "[It] sends profits into the hands of organised crime, profits that are used to cause further harm through intimidation tactics, arson, firearms, drugs and even cyber crime." Laws introduced to curb vaping banned single-use vapes from being made, imported, advertised and supplied in 2024. Only nicotine vapes were allowed to be legally sold with a prescription in pharmacies.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Vape use among teens dropping for the first time as government regulation stems access
Rates of vaping among young people have started to drop for the first time in signs tighter government regulation is turning the tide. Latest figures from the Generation Vape study reveal 85 per cent of Australian teens aged 14-17 have never vaped, up from 82 per cent in 2023. The proportion of young people who have never smoked is also at its highest too, at 94 per cent. It's a promising sign teens are turning away from nicotine products, with chief investigator of the study Professor Becky Freeman saying the 'social acceptability of vaping over the past few years has shifted'. 'Young people tried vaping as it was marketed to them as fun, 'safe' and full of great flavours, but increasingly young people report the realities of vaping addiction and harm to their wellbeing,' Professor Freeman said. Access to vape products has also declined since the introduction of federal vape laws in July 2024 that aim to limit the sale of vapes to pharmacies only, regardless of nicotine content. About one in four young people reported purchasing their own vape, down from roughly one in three before the laws came into play. Tobacconist and vape shops remained a major source of vape sales with about one in three teens buying from such a retailer, highlighting ongoing difficulties with regulation and enforcement. Chair of the Cancer Council's tobacco issues committee Alecia Brooks said the latest figures were encouraging indicators that vaping laws are protecting young people, but that some retailers 'continue to exploit young people'. 'Some tobacconists and vape shops are still blatantly selling illegal vapes to young people,' Ms Brooks said. It comes as calls to WA's poisons hotline from concerned parents worried their babies have been exposed to vapes have tripled just six months into the year. Speaking on the matter in Budget Estimates earlier this month, Health Minister Meredith Hammat said the spike in calls reflected 'a growing awareness in the community about the harmful nature of vapes'. Since January 2024 the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australian Border Force have seized more than 10 million illicit vapes with a street value of nearly half a billion dollars. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler said 'vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner'. 'Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference,' he said.
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Health
- Perth Now
War against vapes not over yet despite falling rates
Shifting social norms are slowing the number of young people being hooked on vapes, but Australia isn't out of the woods yet, an expert has warned. A survey of almost 15,000 14 to 17-year olds found the number of teens vaping fell from 18 to 15 per cent since February 2023. The report released by the Cancer Council's Generation Vape Project on Wednesday found rates of e-cigarettes among 30 to-59-year-olds have halved, while fewer than one-in-five 18 to 24-year-olds used vapes. But despite the lowering rates, Cancer Council chair Alecia Brooks said the work to reduce smoking rates were far from over. "What this data shows us is that we can't really be complacent around this, we have to keep the pressure on," she told AAP. "People should not be able to make a profit off somebody else's health." Vape shops and tobacconists are leading a rise in black market sales of vapes, Ms Brooks said. The report found the number of vapes being bought by young people at stores surged to almost 35 per cent of all sales. This is despite laws only allowing vapes to be sold in pharmacies. But the number of people vaping is shrinking and one reason is because of social media, according the report. What was once a place that painted a fantastical snapshot of the flavoured air devices now is exposing less of the products online. Feelings of shame and embarrassment are poignant and the term "vaper" has became increasingly stigmatised, the report said. The report's chief investigator Becky Freeman said young people were realising the "harm it's doing to their wellbeing", which had led to a decline in vaping rates. Health Minister Mark Butler said education and prevention campaigns also helped deter people from taking up vaping or smoking. "Vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner," he said. "It may take time to see a big decrease in vaping and smoking, but we are here for the long haul for a healthier Australia." The Australian Border Force and the Therapeutic Goods Administration have also seized almost $500 billion worth of illicit vapes since January 2024. Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death in Australia and is estimated to kill more than 24,000 Australians each year. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Teenage vaping has ‘turned a corner' in Australia, says Mark Butler, as data shows falling rates
The federal government believes dangerous vaping rates among younger Australians may have turned a corner after years of rapid growth, with new research showing take-up could have peaked among teenagers and high school-age children. Data released by the health minister, Mark Butler, on Wednesday showed that vaping rates fell from 17.5% at the start of 2023 to 14.6% in April this year among children aged 14-17 years. Overall, rates for people aged over 15 reduced by more than a third, while vaping rates among the 30-59-year age group also dropped by about half. The figures are is from the Cancer Council's latest Generation Vape research, considered the most comprehensive survey on vaping in Australia. The report says the data follows the July 2024 vaping reforms, which were designed to curb youth access and use, and to reduce the social acceptability of vaping. The figures come as the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Australian Border Force announced more than 10m illicit vapes had been seized since January 2024, worth a combined street value of $500m. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The seizures are the result of interceptions at the international border, and enforcement activity by federal and state authorities tracking supply of illegal vapes. Butler said the early positive signs came 12 months after Labor introduced major world-leading laws restricting the sale of vapes to pharmacies, requiring the presentation of ID. People under 18 can only access vapes with a prescription from a doctor and sales at smoke shops and petrol stations are banned, regardless of their nicotine content. Advertising for vaping products is also not allowed under the rules. However, under-the-counter sales are common, with experts warning that unaffordable legal cigarettes and vape restrictions have caused an explosion in black market trade. Butler said in a statement the government was resolute in enforcement of the rules and educating Australians on the health risks associated with vaping. 'Vaping rates skyrocketed in the five years before these reforms, particularly among young people,' he said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'Vaping rates for young Australians have now turned the corner. Our education and prevention campaigns as well as support to deter people from taking up vaping and smoking or to quit are making a difference.' The report found some 'promising trends', including that more than 85% of young people had never vaped, and smoking levels were at their lowest in the study's history. The report said curiosity about vaping continued to decline, with fewer than a third of young people expressing an interest in taking up vaping. It also found that social norms are shifting – some participants expressed embarrassment and shame about their habit, and said they did not want to be considered a 'vaper'. In South Australia, school suspensions related to vaping have dropped by 50% since the new laws were introduced. In term 1 of 2023, suspensions topped 388. That number fell to 186 in term 1 of 2024 and a trend of 50% declines continued throughout terms 2 and 3. The vaping crackdown is designed to stop younger people migrating to smoking. Tobacco use remains Australia's leading cause of preventable death and kills more than 24,000 people each year. Butler said a major decrease in vaping and smoking rates would take time, 'but we are here for the long haul for a healthier Australia'. It follows 2023 data analysed by Cancer Council Victoria's Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer that found an uptick in the proportion of 14-to-17-year-olds using tobacco and vaping, with the centre noting it was the first increase in teen smoking since the early to mid-1990s.
