Vaping by stuff.co.nz

Vaping With Nicotine More Common Than Smoking Among Kiwi Teens

More than a third of New Zealand secondary school students have tried vaping with 10% vaping regularly according to a recently published study. Of particular concern, researchers found that 80% of regularly vaping teens and 90% of those who vaped weekly often used e-cigarettes containing nicotine – a highly addictive substance linked to significant negative impacts on teenage brain development.

The rates of teen vaping uncovered by the study suggest that there are about 15,000 regular vapers and an additional 6,700 weekly vapers who have not previously smoked. In other words, vapes, a product marketed as a smoking cessation tool, has developed a growing market among New Zealand teens who have never previously smoked.

The use of nicotine salt means that vapes enable high nicotine concentrations to be consumed without the harsh sensation in the mouth and throat that is associated with traditional consumption through cigarette smoking. This, coupled with the nature of the marketing campaigns for vapes – much of it through social media where regulation is at best very limited – and the highly addictive nature of nicotine, means that a new generation of young New Zealanders are firmly ‘at risk’.

Don't Get Sucked In - What's in a vape?

While vaping has been shown to be highly effective at helping those addicted to cigarette smoking ‘kick the habit’, it has not been shown to be safe for non-smokers. Researcher Jude Ball from the University of Otago said that while vaping carried lower health risks than smoking, it was not harmless and “recent reports have highlighted the risk of acute lung injury in vapers, as well as chronic risks to cardiovascular, respiratory and oral health.” Furthermore, the impacts of long term vaping are unknown.

The research paper, New Zealand Youth19 survey: vaping has wider appeal than smoking in secondary school students, and most use nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, noted that “There is a sense that it’s [vaping] relatively safe. It’s not smoking, therefore it’s ok.” The fact that the flavours made it an enjoyable experience increased the appeal for young people. “It’s like RTDs for alcohol – if you make it sweet and palatable, young people will be drawn to it.”

The report noted that vaping was two to three times more common than smoking among students, and was common among demographic groups unlikely to smoke; two-thirds of those who had tried it, and nearly half of regular vapers, had never smoked.

Vape shops have infested New Zealand with very little of the regulation or enforcement that accompanies the sale of alcohol or other tobacco products. One Palmerston North vape retailer is currently offering a $15.00 discount if customers “refer a friend”.

Unfortunately, vaping appears to be yet another recent example of a known harmful product that has been made available to the young people of New Zealand with the accompanying rules and regulations slow to keep up.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/126684831/vaping-with-nicotine-more-common-than-smoking-among-teens