Statistics About Vaping in Australia
Vaping statistics in Australia for 2023 show that vaping is a growing trend among young people.
Nicotine vaping products (NVPs), also known as e-cigarettes, are designed to be used by long-time smokers struggling to quit their smoking habit. They can only be legally obtained in Australia with GP prescriptions. (If you don’t fit that criterion, you shouldn’t be vaping.)
Unsurprisingly, statistics on vaping show only “7% of vapers currently get their products legally via GP prescriptions”.
This is concerning for a number of reasons. The illegal acquisition of vaping products means there is a lack of quality assurance and product insurance, and purchasers are not made aware of the possible health implications of consistent vaping.
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The boom reflected in these vaping statistics has been driven by the growing availability of illegal and low-quality NVPs. These are illegally being supplied via convenience stores or obtained from overseas.
These imports are fuelling e-cigarette use among smokers and non-smokers alike. A 2022 Four Corners documentary exposed a thriving black market and the resultant rise in vaping among Australian youth.
New vaping studies show that “33% of 15 to 30-year-olds have used e-cigarettes and 14% currently vape”. This data also found that 83% of e-cigarette users find them to be “highly addictive”. Low-quality vapes, such as those found illegally in convenience stores and from overseas, may contain dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals. Many e-cigarettes are also falsely labelled as nicotine-free, when in reality they can contain the highest levels of nicotine on the market.
High-quality pharmacy-supplied NVPs, on the other hand, only contain these chemicals in trace amounts, incapable of producing a toxic effect. You can find these trusted products in over 2,200 registered pharmacies across the country.
Teenage Vaping Statistics 2023
Generation Vape, the first national research project on vaping, has revealed that more than “30% of 14 to 17-year-olds engage in the activity”.
Since e-cigarettes can only be obtained legally through GPs in Australia, it’s safe to assume that teenagers are accessing them illegally via convenience stores and online sellers.
There are multiple reasons behind the upward trend in youth vaping:
- As per one study, 73% of young adults said they vaped out of curiosity. 63% of teenagers who do vape had last done so with a friend’s e-cigarette.
- Young adults are often unaware of the health risks associated with using illegal vaping products.
- Companies making and selling vaping products illegally use flavours “such as candy, mango, peppermint, and vanilla to entice young people and normalise vaping as a fun recreational activity”.
- These vaping devices are far cheaper than traditional cigarettes.
Vaping Deaths Statistics 2023
Traditional smoking causes more than 20,000 deaths each year in Australia. In contrast, there are no known deaths directly attributable to the use of vapes in Australia.
Vaping Studies: Health Benefits and Risks
Vaping hasn’t been studied for long enough to understand its long-term impacts on health.
High-quality NVPs, prescribed by doctors and used responsibly, can be used as an intervention for those struggling with pharmacological methods of smoking cessation.
Unregulated and poor-quality vapes, however, are health hazards, as vaping statistics are proving.
On top of being addictive, established risks include “intentional and unintentional poisoning; acute nicotine toxicity, including seizures; burns and injuries; lung injury; and increased smoking uptake in non-smokers”.
Calls for Better Regulation of NVPs in Australia
The unregulated and easy access to harmful e-cigarettes has prompted renewed calls for greater policy action. New data has found that 87% of Australian adults want the TGA to regulate e-cigarettes to prevent younger generations from getting addicted to nicotine.
We welcome this development and hope it will help weed out illegal, low-quality vapes in the market and lead to the use of vaping products as intended – helping smokers quit the habit.
Choose Safe Vaping with Smokefree
The 2023 vaping statistics clearly show vaping is becoming a recreational activity in Australia rather than its intended purpose of helping those struggling to quit smoking. That’s highly problematic.
Let’s be very clear — vaping is only intended for long-time smokers who have tried to quit unsuccessfully, and whose doctors agree they may benefit from the use of NVPs.
If you or someone you know is struggling in this regard, we can help.
We know you’re reading this post because you’re eager to learn about vaping statistics in Australia in 2023.
Smokefree Clinic gives you access to many medically reviewed and trustworthy resources that can inform and aid you in your path to wellness, so have a look around!
If you’re ready to get started, Smokefree can connect you to bulk-billing Australian healthcare professionals who excel in helping patients quit smoking for good, including using responsible vaping products where appropriate.
Click here to book your bulk-billed telehealth consultation with an Australian healthcare professional and quit smoking today.
Citations (in the order of appearance):
Vape Haze: The new addiction of vaping
Explainer: How bad is Australia’s vaping problem and how are teens getting nicotine vapes?
Australian youth vaping rates higher than previously thought, study suggests
E-cigarettes health outcomes review summary brief