'Concerning': New research reveals school kids being pressured into vaping
By Nikolina Koevska Kharoufeh |
New research is fuelling the concerns of many Aussie parents, that vaping is becoming more and more prominent amongst teenagers.
?According to a survey by Life Ed there has been a steep increase in the amount of Aussie teens from the age of 13 years old vaping over the past six years.
It revealed 25 per cent of students in New South Wales and South Australia admitted to regularly vaping or having vaped before.
?This is more than double the amount that was recorded in 2017.
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The study surveyed ?7,350 high school students from the two states, between the age of 13 and 17 years old.
And while worrying, the increase of vaping as a habit amongst the teens wasn't the only shocking find.
Nearly one in four students reported that they were concerned about being pressured into vaping.
This combined with over 86 per cent of teenagers assuming their peers were using vapes at varying levels.
A rising trend that nib Chief Medical Officer Dr Rob McGrath ?says parents are right to be concerned about.
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"The ease of access and appeal of fruity flavours attracts young people who can become addicted to the nicotine sometimes found in vapes and research suggests that people who vape are much more likely to take up cigarette smoking," he tells 9Honey Parenting.
A 2020 study by the Lung Foundation funded by nib foundation found that 100 per cent of vaping products contained chemicals with unknown impacts on respiratory health.
Further to that, 62 per cent contained chemicals that were likely to be toxic if smoked repeatedly.?
"The reality is that there is limited clinical research and information out there on the long-term harmful impacts of vaping because it hasn't been around for long enough," Dr McGrath explains. ?
"The latest findings from Life Ed on the rise in vaping among young people is concerning."
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