Youth vaping in Australia has reached levels that demand urgent action. New research shows one in five young adults aged 18 to 25 now uses e-cigarettes. Those with mental health difficulties face a significantly greater risk.
The findings come from the International Journal of Drug Policy. Researchers analysed data from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, covering 2016 to 2022/23. Each wave surveyed more than 20,000 people across Australia. The results reveal how quickly vaping has taken hold among young people. Many had never smoked a cigarette before picking up a vape.
Youth Vaping in Australia: A Near-Tenfold Rise in a Decade
Current vaping among 14 to 25 year olds climbed from 2% in 2016 to 4% in 2019. By 2022/23, it had jumped to 17%. Daily vaping rose even more sharply, from 0.7% to 7% over the same period. That is a tenfold increase. By 2022/23, nearly half (49%) of 18 to 25 year olds had ever vaped.
Australia is not alone. In England, youth vaping reached new highs by 2022. In New Zealand, daily vaping among 14 and 15 year olds rose tenfold between 2015 and 2023. Canada and the United States saw similar surges after a brief dip during the early pandemic.
What stands out in Australia is how many young people started vaping without ever smoking. In 2022/23, 62% of 14 to 25 year olds who had ever vaped had never smoked at initiation. That figure was just 42% in 2019. Among those aged 36 and over, the equivalent figure was only 13%.
Curiosity Drives E-Cigarette Use Among Young Australians
Young people vape for very different reasons than older adults. Among 14 to 25 year olds in 2022/23, the top reason was simply curiosity, cited by 70% of respondents. Around 27% preferred the taste over traditional cigarettes. Only 13% mentioned wanting to cut down or stop smoking.
Among adults over 35, the picture looks very different. Some 53% vaped to reduce or quit smoking. This gap matters for policy. Messages aimed at adult smokers seeking a cessation tool simply do not fit the young people now driving the rise in e-cigarette use among young Australians.
Young people also tend to source their vapes informally. In 2022/23, 58% of 14 to 25 year olds who vaped obtained them from a friend or family member. Retail restrictions alone will not solve this.
Youth Vaping in Australia and the Mental Health Connection
The link between youth vaping in Australia and poor mental health stands out as one of the most serious findings. In 2022/23, 20% of young people with a diagnosed mental health disorder vaped at least weekly. That compares with 8% of those without such a diagnosis. Among those with high to very high distress scores on the Kessler K10 scale, 18% vaped at least weekly. Just 5% of those with low distress levels did the same.
Researchers adjusted for sex, sexuality, and Indigeneity. Even then, young people with a mental health disorder had roughly three times the odds of weekly vaping (odds ratio 2.81). Those with high psychological distress showed similar risk (odds ratio 3.03).
Youth mental health has also worsened overall. In 2022/23, 34% of young people reported high to very high distress on the K10, up from 21% in 2016. Some 22% reported a diagnosed mental health condition, up from 14%.
Researchers do not claim vaping causes mental illness, or vice versa. The relationship is likely bidirectional. What is clear is that the two overlap heavily. Any meaningful response to youth vaping must address mental health at the same time.
Nicotine Dependence and the Struggle to Quit
Nicotine dependence is a growing concern. In 2022/23, more than half (54%) of those who vaped said their last vape contained nicotine. Nearly a quarter were unsure. Of those using nicotine vapes, 87% used unprescribed products.
Over 15% of young people who vaped tried to cut down or stop in the past year and could not. Among those who used e-cigarettes to help quit smoking, 52% still could not stop vaping. Only 1 to 3% gave up both smoking and vaping entirely.
Overall cessation figures tell a mixed story. Among all ages using e-cigarettes to quit smoking in 2022/23, 32% achieved smoking abstinence. That compares with 25% among those using other methods. Yet only 6.5% stopped both smoking and vaping. E-cigarettes may help some people step away from tobacco. But they often become a lasting habit of their own.
A New Generation and the Rise of E-Cigarette Use Among Young Australians
Research suggests e-cigarette use among young Australians may be creating a new cohort of nicotine-dependent people who would otherwise never have smoked. Between 2016 and 2022/23, exclusive smoking among young people fell from 12% to 3%. That sounds positive. But over the same period, the share of young people who smoked or vaped rose from 14% to 19%. Vaping drove that increase. Overall nicotine use among young people has not fallen. It has simply shifted form.
The idea that vaping replaced smoking has also come under scrutiny. Cohort studies show that young people who vape face a higher risk of later taking up cigarette smoking. The decline in tobacco use and the rise in vaping appear to be coinciding trends rather than cause and effect.
What Needs to Change
Researchers call for action that goes well beyond restricting access. Australia introduced new vaping laws in 2024, banning disposable vapes and limiting sales to pharmacies. These are meaningful steps. Their impact on vulnerable groups, however, remains unknown.
Four priorities stand out clearly. Young people must help design public health responses. Their reasons for vaping bear little resemblance to those of adults seeking to quit smoking. Peer-led programmes and youth advisory groups could help shape more relevant approaches.
Clinicians need training to identify and respond to vaping, especially in mental health and primary care settings. With 34% of young people showing high distress levels in 2022/23, vaping presentations are now common. School-based prevention also needs strengthening. Effective programmes should address the social and sensory appeal of vaping rather than lean on fear-based messaging, which evidence shows has limited effect on young people.
Policy evaluation must also become routine. Tracking dual cessation rates, monitoring vaping initiation among non-smokers, and measuring outcomes for young people with mental health conditions should all form part of ongoing national surveillance.
Youth vaping in Australia is no longer a fringe concern. For too many young people, particularly those already struggling with their mental health, it has become a serious and deepening problem. The response must match the scale of the challenge.
(Source: WRD News)