New insights on teen vaping behaviour in Australia

A new study tracking Australian teenager beliefs and behaviours using vapes (e-cigarettes) has found many are readily accessing and using illegal vaping products, writes A/Prof Becky Freeman, Dr Christina Watts and Sam Egger. Teen vaping has been in the news, with reports of  rapidly increasing use  and  illegal sales  of e-cigarettes. As a Four Corners  documentary  on ABC TV earlier this year showed, parents and schools are struggling to manage this swift rise in vaping, with fears children are addicted and harming their health. In contrast, very limited research about Australian teen vaping has been published, until today. We have  published  in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health the first results from the  Generation Vape  study. The study aims to track teenagers' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about using vapes (e-cigarettes). Here's what we found about where teenagers were accessing vapes and what types of products they use.