Teenagers are lacking information as well as education and support from adults and institutions about vaping according to a new report from the South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People.
The Commissioner, Helen Connolly said that amid growing public concern about the prevalence and impacts of vaping among the State’s teenagers, her report Key Findings What do young people in South Australia think about current responses to vaping and how to better respond? asked young people to share their thoughts on vaping.
Commissioner Connolly said she was particularly interested in the voices, thoughts and experiences of teenagers which have been largely missing in adult conversations and media reports about vaping.
“As a result, many young people are feeling misunderstood, judged, shamed, blamed, and punished for vaping,” she said.
“They say they lack information, education and support from the adults and institutions around them.”
The Commissioner said key findings from the Report showed one in three young people said they had never tried vaping, while two in three respondents had tried it.
“Many young people are unsure or unaware that in Australia it is illegal to buy or sell e-cigarettes and accessories to or on behalf of a person under 18 years of age,” she said.
“Existing laws aren’t effectively restricting access to vapes.
“Young females were more likely than young males to have tried vaping and to describe themselves as both regular or social vapers.”
Commissioner Connolly said that of those who had tried vaping, almost one in four described themselves as a regular vaper (vaping most days).
She said almost half (48.5 per cent) of the survey respondents reported learning ‘nothing at all’ about vaping at school and a further third of respondents (34.7 per cent) reported learning ‘not much’.
“Students in Government and Catholic schools were significantly more likely to report learning ‘nothing at all’ about vaping at school (52.9 per cent and 47.3 per cent respectively) compared to students in Independent schools (35.8 per cent).”
The Commissioner said vaping use increased as young people got older: 30 per cent of 13 year olds up to 80 per cent of 18 year olds.
The Commissioner’s 23-page Survey Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
