Urgent Action Demanded to Combat Rising Vaping Rates in Teenagers
One in five young Australian individuals have engaged in vaping within the last year. This study, one of the largest surveys on e-cigarette usage, was published in the Medical Journal of Australia and scrutinized vaping patterns among young people in three different states ().
The majority of participants in the survey were students from independent schools residing in major urban areas. Researchers from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney extended invitations to 4,445 students aged 14 to 17, hailing from 70 schools in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia.
Adolescent E-cigarette Use: Findings from a Survey
Among the 4,204 respondents, the research exposed the relatively widespread occurrence of e-cigarette use among adolescents. Dr. Lauren Gardner, the lead researcher and a research fellow at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, noted that "26% of respondents had experimented with e-cigarettes, with an average age of initiation at 14 years. In the past twelve months, 20.4% of respondents reported e-cigarette usage, and 5.7% admitted to regular current use."‘Among Australian adolescents, immediate action is imperative to reduce the adoption and utilization of e-cigarettes. #ecigarettes #vaping’
The study also highlighted gender disparities, with a higher prevalence of past-year use among boys and non-binary participants compared to girls. Additionally, the prevalence of regular current use was higher among non-binary participants and those who chose not to specify their gender. Interestingly, socio-economic status and geographic remoteness did not appear to influence the prevalence of current or past-year e-cigarette use.
In response to these findings, the authors emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach to address this issue. Dr. Gardner stressed the importance of increased support for young individuals within the primary care system and the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs and resistance skills training in schools. Furthermore, she emphasized the necessity of government-level interventions, including e-cigarette control policies, investment in prevention and cessation support, and communication campaigns.
Reference:
- Prevalence, patterns of use, and socio-demographic features of e-cigarette use by Australian adolescents: a survey - (https:onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.5694/mja2.52075)
Source: Medindia