Vaping trend among Australian primary and secondary students sparks new regulatory measures

According to school teachers and counselors dealing with the consequences of the youth vaping crisis, primary and secondary students believe that vaping is "relatively harmless" and helps them cope with stress and anxiety.

More and more students are being suspended for vaping. (Supplied)

As the federal government commits to tackling the booming black market for vaping, Perth clinical psychologist Donna Stambulich has seen evidence that a new generation of nicotine addicts is forming.

She noted a significant increase in parents seeking treatment for children aged 12 to 24, one factor being vaping.

Dr. Stambulich said, "Last year, I saw 34 children alone, which is a significant increase compared to two years ago... it (vaping) wasn't really on our radar before."

"[It] may not be the main reason they walk through the door, but it is certainly one of the factors for them seeking treatment.

"Generally, vaping is closely associated with areas of young people's lives that are not going well."

Some schools report that they are taking an educational approach to student vaping rather than punishing students. (ABC News: Tahlia Roy)

“This could be social isolation, anxiety, depression.”

Dr. Stambulich said that young girls with body image issues are using vaping as a means to suppress their appetite.

She said, "Many girls come in with body dysmorphic disorder and eating disorders, believing that vaping will reduce their appetite, so they won't have to eat, which is incredibly tragic."

Rising popularity of vaping among those under 18

Under current laws, nicotine vaping products can only be purchased by adults attempting to quit smoking with a prescription.

It is illegal to sell or possess nicotine vaping products without a prescription.

However, in reality, there is an increasing number of vapers under 18, primarily purchasing disposable vapes on the black market, which are imported and packaged in fluorescent colors and sweet flavors.

Reusable vapes are battery-powered devices that heat a cartridge of liquid nicotine and flavoring to create vapor for inhalation. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

Teachers, nurses, and students reported to a recent study that children as young as 11 are vaping at school, and there are frequent occurrences of "vape trading," where some students buy in bulk and sell to others.

Researchers from Curtin University's School of Population Health were told that some students believe vaping is harmless, even though some vaping products contain the same chemicals found in cleaning products, herbicides, and nail polish removers.

A student told researchers: "You don't see many 'vaping is harmful to health' ads, etc., but it smells better. It just feels cleaner... I don't know."

Researchers interviewed about 70 parents, teachers, school nurses, and young people aged 14 to 18 in schools in Perth. Their research has not yet been published.

Chief researcher Jonine Jancey said the study confirmed the widespread occurrence of vaping in schools, which teachers are very concerned about.

Teachers told researchers that these vaping devices are easily hidden in schools because they are made to look like everyday items such as pens, highlighters, and USB drives, and the scent of vaping dissipates quickly.

Professor Jancey said the research indicates that teachers are very worried about the issue of vaping. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

Professor Jancey said, "They also talked about the impact on themselves, how they feel quite distressed about the whole issue, and mentioned having to send students home after they became ill from excessive vaping."

To combat the rising trend of vaping, the Western Australia Department of Education and Health has released an anti-vaping toolkit for schools aimed at raising awareness of the health risks associated with vaping.

Surge in suspension rates

Data shows a sharp increase in the number of students suspended for vaping.

In Queensland, the number of drug-related suspensions doubled last year to over 8,000, with this increase primarily driven by vaping.

In Western Australia, there were 3,732 incidents of suspensions due to vaping in public schools last year.

In the first five weeks of this school term, there were 570 suspension incidents.

A study in Perth found that primary and secondary students are using vaping as a coping mechanism. (Unsplash: Toan Nguyen)

The George Institute for Global Health recently confirmed the growing appeal of vaping among young people, finding that among 1,006 Australians aged 15 to 30 surveyed, 14% were vapers.

The institute noted that this is a significant increase compared to the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, which found that about 5% of young adults were users at that time.

Last year, the Western Australian government confiscated over 15,000 disposable nicotine vapes from retailers statewide within six weeks, despite it being illegal to sell nicotine vaping products to anyone without a prescription, regardless of age.

Calls for a ban on vaping

As vaping becomes normalized among young people, the federal government is facing increasing pressure to strengthen border controls on vaping products and even ban them altogether.

John Blakey, a respiratory physician at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth, supports the latter option.

He is concerned that young Australians are causing serious damage to their lungs, both in the long and short term.

Dr. Blakey is worried that nicotine dependence rates will rise again. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

"For example, they can lead to increased lung inflammation, increased bacterial adhesion to airway walls, making people more susceptible to infections, and infections are more likely to be severe," he said.

"We have done well in reducing nicotine dependence in Australia.

"And this is a way for big tobacco companies to recruit new smokers to replace those who have died or quit smoking.

"We do not want this problem to resurface; if our smoking rates or nicotine dependence rates rise again, it will lead to hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths."

Many disposable vapes purchased by young people do not provide any information about nicotine content, but studies show that most products do contain this addictive substance.

Dr. Blakey said that even nicotine-free vapes can pose potential dangers. (Supplied: Pixabay)

Dr. Blakey, who is also a senior clinical researcher at the Respiratory Health Institute, said that even without nicotine, vaping can be potentially dangerous.

He said, "If you are inhaling organic compounds and heating them, you are not sure what these organic compounds contain, and they can certainly be harmful."

Regulatory measures are on the way

Comprehensive reforms to vaping regulations are expected this year nationwide.

After consulting the public, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has made recommendations to the federal government regarding the direction of reforms.

Dr. Blakey is also the chair of the Western Australia branch of the Thoracic Society of Australia. The society described vaping as a "public health emergency" in its submitted documents, stating that evidence of direct harm to the lungs has been steadily accumulating since nicotine vaping products entered the market as "untested consumer products."

On the other hand, the Australian Convenience Store Association is advocating for a model similar to New Zealand's, where nicotine vaping products can be sold to adults just like cigarettes. Both sides hope to end the current black market.

However, Dr. Blakey believes that allowing vaping is not valuable at all, stating that there are more effective ways to help smokers quit permanently.

He said, "Research shows that most people who switch to vaping just continue to vape."

"Simply switching people from cigarettes to vaping and letting them continue to vape is not enough."

The federal government is currently working with state health ministers to develop new measures regarding vaping.

Addressing the consequences

Meanwhile, parents and teachers are trying to cope with the latest and highly disruptive trend in schools.

Donna Stambulich said, "Most parents are in a state of fear; they are absolutely terrified that their children are vaping and are worried about the consequences of this."

"They feel guilty, asking themselves, 'How did I not notice this? Why wasn't I paying attention all along?'

Dr. Stambulich advises parents not to overreact, but if they find their children vaping, they should not deny it.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Stambulich sees a new generation of nicotine addicts forming. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

She said that parents must educate themselves about the dangers of vaping and then choose the right moment to talk to their children.

She suggested, "In the car or while walking the dog on the beach, approach the topic in a very non-confrontational way."

The Western Australia Mental Health Commission states that its Drug and Alcohol Youth Services (DAYS) provides confidential, free services for youth aged 12 to 21 and their families, including counseling, rehabilitation, medical, and psychological services.

"DAYS clinicians provide information and support to young people to help them reduce their smoking or vaping. However, the young people using DAYS mainly seek help to stop or reduce the use of other drugs," said Ann Marie Cunniffe, Deputy Commissioner of the Mental Health Commission.

The commission noted that DAYS does not collect data on vaping but estimates that the number of inquiries is very low.