How to stop teens vaping

“Walk into almost any Australian secondary school and you’ll see it: a vape tucked into a blazer pocket, passed between friends at the back of the oval, or casually puffed on between classes. As devices have become smaller and easier to conceal, the window for intervention keeps narrowing. By the time an educator or parent tries to intervene, children may already be vaping daily or showing early signs of nicotine dependence. Teachers know this, and most will tell you that the tools currently available to them – confiscation, suspension, the occasional awareness session – are not keeping pace with the problem. How much teens know about the dangers of vaping is a much bigger and more complex question. Many believe vaping is a low or no-risk activity, and nicotine-free products are often thought of as safe. What they don’t always know is that these products do contain nicotine, and many also contain up to 200 harmful chemicals not listed on the label. The numbers tell a story Teenagers listen to their peers, often from a deep need to belong and be accepted and vaping now seems to be replacing what cigarettes symbolised in the 1980s and 90s. Like cigarettes, we know that vaping is incredibly harmful and exposes users to countless chemicals many of which carry serious and still-unknown long-term risks, and are likely to cause cancer. For teens whose brains and bodies are still developing, the risk is even more terrifying. If we look at the data, we can see clearly the scale of what schools have been managing. The National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–23 found more than one in four people aged 14 to 17 had used a vape at least once, and nearly one in four of those vaping reported daily use. Thirty-one per cent said they had tried to stop and couldn’t. While these statistics are confronting, the good news is that we also have the tools to help. As vaping prevention program providers, we have a role to keep children safe, and it is indisputable that vaping is threatening the health and safety of our youth. This is why educators must know the facts and feel confident educating students when needed. While many adults might know that vaping is ‘bad’ for you, the truth is that we often don’t talk about the risks in enough detail, especially when it comes to vaping in children. The human brain continues developing until around age 25, and early nicotine exposure has been linked to impaired attention and learning, and increased vulnerability to depression and anxiety. There is also a clear gateway effect: 12-year-olds who vape are 29 times more likely to go on to try cigarettes than those who don't. What these figures show is that we need to act early if we want things to change. Thankfully, Australia is already making progress. Regulatory reforms introduced in 2024, including restricting vape sales to pharmacies, have contributed to measurable declines in youth usage. The Cancer Council’s Generation Vape study found the proportion of 14 to 17-year-olds who had never vaped was higher in 2024 than at any previous point in the study’s history, and 82 per cent of young people now recognise vapes as unsafe. While this progress is a much-needed step forward, to safeguard young people from the effects of vaping, we must do more. What schools and teachers can do For parents and teachers alike, it may feel natural to respond to vaping with discipline. But the research tells a different story. In a study by South Australia’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, students said suspension for vaping “ doesn ’ t work ” and “ isn’t teaching anything. ” It also showed that a one-off awareness session runs into the same wall. This research reaffirms what many of us already understand: knowing something is bad for you does not automatically change behaviour. This is especially the case when students are navigating peer pressure, social normalisation, family exposure and, in some cases, an already-established physical dependence on nicotine. The problem is that many teachers say they don’t feel confident having conversations that go beyond warnings or discipline. And they certainly don’t have the time or resources to provide the type of vaping education that young people need. What schools need is content that fits within existing systems, doesn’t add to teacher workload, and is built on evidence rather than good intentions. This gap between what young people need and what teachers are equipped to handle is one of the reasons the Our Futures Institute developed our Educator Masterclass . This, in conjunction with the Vaping Prevention Program , ensures the opportunity for a holistic school approach to empower teachers to inform and equip students. Part of a federally funded national rollout, the Vaping Prevention Program aims to train 2700 teachers by June 2028 in evidence-based knowledge and practical prevention strategies that help address vaping before it becomes an entrenched behaviour. The program proactively equips schools, parents, and students with practical tools, with the reactive discipline and awareness campaigns continuing as support. Schools are the prevention point, which is why they must move from reactive discipline toward structured, evidence-based prevention programs. Teachers are there to do what they do best: teach and support young people through the most formative years of their lives. It’s more important than ever that we equip them with the knowledge and power to identify, listen to, and support young people who are at risk of vaping. Ashley McGrath. Image: Supplied Vaping is not a problem that schools can punish and suspend their way out of. It’s a public health issue that is already inside the classroom, and the only way to meet it is with the same rigour we would bring to any serious threat to young people’s wellbeing. That means equipping teachers with real knowledge, not just warnings. It means reaching students before a habit forms, not after. And it means recognising that the window to act is open right now, but it will not stay open for long. Ashley McGrath, is the board chair of Our Futures Institute , which provides school-based health, alcohol and drug education programs. The Institute was founded in partnership with researchers at the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use with support from the Paul Ramsay Foundation.

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