Study rejects ‘youth vaping epidemic’

A major study of youth smoking shows while some young people are experimenting with vaping, daily use of an e-cigarette is occurring overwhelmingly in existing smokers.

The annual study, done by Action for Smokefree 2025 and the University of Auckland, surveyed almost 30,000 Year 10 students (aged 14 to 15) about the use of e-cigarettes or vapes.

It found that in 2019, only 3.1 per cent of Year 10 students vaped daily, while 37.3 per cent have tried an e-cigarette, even just a puff, up from 20.8 per cent in 2014. More than 95 per cent of students who smoked daily had tried vaping, compared to 25 per cent of those who had never smoked tobacco.

Although a quarter of those who have never smoked had tried at least a single puff of an e-cigarette, less than one per cent (0.8 per cent) were daily users.

The study – funded by the Ministry of Health – was published in the scientific journal The Lancet Public Health.

Lead author Natalie Walker, an associate professor from the University of Auckland, said the findings were in line with other surveys into youth vaping.

‘‘Our findings are consistent with other national surveys and do not support the idea of a so-called youth vaping epidemic in Aotearoa New Zealand,’’ Dr Walker said.

Action for Smokefree 2025 chairman Emeritus Professor Robert Beaglehole said the findings were encouraging because they showed youth vaping remained low despite a lack of government oversight. —RNZ