Hooked in High School: How Illegal Vaping is Plaguing Queensland Classrooms
Queensland schools are facing a growing public health epidemic as underage vaping sweeps through schools, with educators and health professionals concerned for student development.
What began as a trend has now evolved into an epidemic, with reports by the Lung Foundation Australia indicating a four-fold increase among students about the age of 14 years.
“E-cigarette use has become a concerning issue in our school, particularly among students from Grade 5 to Matriculation.” said Hajra Soomro, Head of Wellbeing at Dundas State High School.
A 2023 study by Sydney University found that 58% of Australian teachers have confiscated nicotine-based products.
This is only a minuet fraction of the 400,000 Australian teenagers who reported vaping at least monthly, with each one increasing their risk of lung dysfunction.
Currently, teachers face a number of difficulties when dealing with students vaping.
“The fact that e-cigarettes are so covert makes it challenging to detect adolescents using them, which is one of the primary challenges.” Ms Soomro states.
“Teachers feel that they are unable to keep an eye on their students outside of the classroom, such as in unsupervised areas or restrooms, where the majority of vaping takes place,” she says.
A key factor driving the vaping crisis is a lack of education about the risks involved.
A 2022 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) survey showcases the number of students who have vaped increased by 40% in 2 years.
Medical experts attribute this rise to the appeal of flavoured products, and the perception that vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Credentialed eating disorder clinician, Nadia Lina, highlights that vaping does not only affect physical health, but also an individual's social and emotional health.
“Vaping may help an adolescent temporarily cope with these stressors…however, I have witnessed the negative domino effect it can have,” she said.
“It is a self-soothing tool that is ultimately addictive and does not address the underlying distress an individual may be experiencing,” Miss Lina said.
Miss Lina’s personal observation notes that more students are coming to the hospital with vape-related illnesses, including respiratory issues and symptoms of nicotine poisoning.
“We’re also concerned about the long-term effects of other chemicals found in these products. Many of these vapes are unregulated, so kids are unknowingly inhaling harmful substances,” she said.
A study by Cancer Council Australia found that teens who vaped were 5 times more likely to go on to try smoking than their peers.
The study additionally indicated that vapes contain volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, and other harmful additives.
With no regulation on the black-market products that teenagers are purchasing, the risks remain high and unpredictable.
However, Miss Lina explains “Vaping may help an adolescent temporarily cope with these [general] stressors.”
19 year old Tara Anne Seeto began vaping at age 15 and has suffered chronic health implications since such as a decrease in cardiovascular endurance and “nic-sickness.”
“Initially, I didn’t want to vape or smoke as I had family members who smoked, but peer pressure played a large factor the first time,” she said.
Miss Seeto attributes her first vaping experience to peer pressure and serving as “a social connection to my peers.”
“My new friend at the time [was] holding my head, putting the vape in my mouth, and telling me to just inhale it”,
”that experience and the continuation of that social environment facilitated an addiction to nicotine,” she says.
Matilda Low, 19, fell into nicotine usage following a similar trajectory in her adolescents.
“Vapes were quite accessible and were being sold by people who didn’t care about our age, so it was easy to get one,” says Miss Low.
Miss Seeto says that “vaping impacted my mental health because I would justify my use of nicotine for things like managing my anxiety or as an appetite suppressant.”
“I felt helpless without it,” she says.
Miss Lina recognises that “vaping can affect hunger and satiety cues, leading to disordered eating patterns.”
The debate of whether vaping is a positive alternative to tobacco cigarettes remains a fine line.
“Cigarette tobacco is often mixed with carcinogenic substances in addition to nicotine,” Miss Lina adds.
“The carcinogenic substances undoubtedly increase the risk of other life-limiting diseases,” she says.
In response to the growing crisis, the Queensland government has pledged to introduce stronger measures to crack down on illegal vape sales.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has also taken steps to control the importation of nicotine-based vaping products, but loopholes in online sales platforms allow international suppliers to sell directly to Australian teens without prescriptions.
“We’re playing catch-up with the vaping industry” says researcher of the TGA, Dr John McEwen.
“There needs to be a more coordinated effort to tackle both the supply and demand side of the problem,” Mr McEwen says.
Ms Seeto recommends that vapes should be taxed and regulated by age in a similar manner to cigarettes.
It “would be much more effective in reducing or at least trying to control the overrepresentation of youth using vapes,” she says.
The ban on vapes has seen an increase in youth smoking cigarettes, with data from The Australian Department of Health finding that 80 percent of long term smokers begin before age 20.
What once was invented to improve smoking habits is now a gateway into mainstream smoking, emphasising the productivity of regulation.
“A regulatory ban would mean that accessibility for [those] above the age of 18 who vape have the same accessibility, but weaken the underground market for vapes, resulting in scarcity for the hands of underage vapers,” says Mr McEwan
Ms Soomro regards that although these strategies help reduce the occurrence, “it is clear that more comprehensive approaches, such as educational campaigns…are needed to effectively address and prevent vaping.”
The government has also mentioned implementing critical reforms that enable health bodies to focus on strong enforcement and public health education without stigma.
“This bill may not be perfect, but we cannot wait for it to be perfect. The status quo free for all vape market is a disaster for the health of Australians,” warns Terry Slevin, CEO of Public Health Association of Australia.
“Every day we delay, more young Australians go down the path of nicotine addiction,” he says.
“We understand that in order to better handle this problem, we must constantly modify and fortify our approaches.” adds Ms Soomro.
While the Queensland government has committed to addressing the issue, a long-term solution will require coordinated action among all stakeholders to protect the health and well-being of young Queenslanders.
Ms Lina says, “this is a real public health concern, and we need to act swiftly.”
