Editorial: Vapes - the panacea that became the problem

Vaping has become increasingly popular among young people. Photo / 123rf

Editorial

EDITORIAL

Vaping has had an unusual role in health strategies around the world - having once been officially encouraged to some extent as a less harmful alternative to smoking to wean people off cigarettes.

Its place in this balancing act is coming under increasing scrutiny, with some countries now choosing to bring in tougher measures on vaping. They include countries New Zealand has strong similarities with: Australia, Ireland and Britain.

It’s the use of vaping among younger people and the development of the inhaling habit at that age that is causing concern. Experts have said that young non-smoking vapers are about three times more likely to go on to smoke than people who don’t use vapes.

Australia is banning all vaping products for recreational use, having previously restricted the sale of nicotine vapes since 2021 to users with a prescription. There’s a thriving black market and studies have shown that many disposable vapes that young people buy do contain nicotine. School suspensions over vaping are rising.

The importation of non-prescription vapes in Australia will be banned and the sale of vapes in retail settings will be stopped.

Ireland is to introduce legislation banning the sale of vaping products to people aged under 18. Advertising such products will not be permitted near schools and public transport. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly noted that “research tells us that vaping among adolescents increases the likelihood that they will later smoke”.

A crackdown is also underway to prevent child vaping in the UK. There, the sale of addictive nicotine products to people under 18 is banned - but some companies have been giving away free vape samples. The BBC found that illegal vapes removed from students had higher levels of lead, nickel and chromium than was considered safe.

In Australia, one in six teenagers aged 14 to 17 are estimated to have tried vaping. The level of youth vaping in New Zealand, Ireland and Britain is thought to be about 10 to 15 per cent.

A poll has shown public concern about vaping in New Zealand. The Newshub Reid Research poll found 68 per cent support for banning recreational vaping.

The Chartwell Food Centre and vape shop in Glenfield after a ram raid. Photo / Hayden Woodward, File

The public health goal of giving people help to quit smoking is a good one. The Government is trying to make the country smoke-free by 2025. For existing smokers, vaping can reduce their exposure to harmful chemicals.

In May, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall emphasised the role of vapes in anti-cigarette smoking measures, saying they need to be “readily available” as regulations on tobacco ramp up.

But she said the problem is getting the balance right in making sure young people did not take it up, adding: “We haven’t got that balance right at the moment”.

Regulations around vaping are expected to soon be updated.

Authorities can at least attempt to reduce levels of vaping at schools, and make it harder for those under-18 to get hold of nicotine vapes.

Realistically, psychological factors which contribute to teens vaping have been around for generations and will not go away.

As with cigarette and cannabis use and heavy drinking, basic stress has a big role in take-up. Add to that peer pressure, wanting to experiment, trying to be cool, dealing with anxiety and self-consciousness, and attempting to boost confidence.

Perth clinical psychologist Donna Stambulich told the ABC that: “Generally speaking, e-cigarettes go hand in hand with something not quite right with the young person in their life”.

Although vapes are considered a safer alternative to cigarettes, they do have risks and, as a recent phenomenon, there could well be as yet unknown health effects.

Australian research has found vaping can result in seizures, poisoning, lung injury, headaches, nausea. The country’s National Health and Medical Research Council chief executive Professor Anne Kelso said last year that: “I frankly don’t yet know enough about the potential effects of e-cigarette use on conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, reproductive health, respiratory health, mental illness”.

Dr John Blakey, of Australia’s Institute for Respiratory Health, said: “If you are taking organic compounds and heating them and inhaling them and you’re not quite sure what’s in those organic compounds, they certainly can be harmful”.

There could also be damage to the lungs. “For example, they will cause an increase in inflammation in the lung, they cause an increase in the stickiness of bacteria to the airway wall so people are more likely to get infections and infections are more likely to be severe,” he said.

Tobacco smoking is a known high-risk factor for lung cancer and other cancers. The worry is that vaping is a stealthy way of getting a new generation hooked through nicotine, even as smoking has become less popular.