Wellbeing

E-cigarette fact sheet for parents

E-cigarettes pose serious health risks to teens.

Using an e-cigarette is commonly called 'vaping'.

Recently, a Sydney student was hospitalised after suffering a seizure as a result of vaping in school toilets, highlighting growing concerns about the habit among young people.

18.6% of Australian teens and young adults aged 15-24 said they vaped in 2019. A Royal Children's Hospital 'Child Health Poll' found that 57% of parents have never discussed e-cigarettes with their teens. Social media is being used extensively by tobacco and e-cigarette companies to market e-cigarettes to teens and young adults.

Fast facts

1 | Legality of e-cigarettes

Buying and selling an e-cigarette device or any liquid that contains nicotine without a doctor's prescription is illegal in Australia
In Victoria, it is illegal to sell an e-cigarette device or a liquid intended to be used in an e-cigarette device (even if it does not contain nicotine) to a person under 18 years.
Smoking and vaping are also banned within the grounds of, and within four metres of an entrance to, all schools, childcare centres, kindergartens and preschools. The penalty for breaking school smoking and vaping ban laws is a court fine of a maximum of five penalty units ($909 as of 1 July 2021) or an infringement fine of one penalty unit ($182 as of 1 July 2021).

2 | Safety

Most e-cigarettes and e-liquids that are labelled nicotine-free and available for sale in Australia do contain nicotine.
There are no quality or safety standards for e-cigarette devices nor nicotine-free liquids, meaning their manufacture, contents and labelling are unregulated
E-cigarette devices can explode or catch fire.

3 | Detecting e-cigarette use

E-cigarettes come in all shapes and sizes and can look like a pen, highlighter or USB. Some can be disposable and some are small enough to fit into a pocket or a pencil case. An e-cigarette device can be identified by taking the 'cap' off a suspected item to see if it has a mouthpiece
Not all e-cigarettes emit visible aerosol. The easiest way to detect e-cigarette use is if there is an unexplained scent in the air from e-cigarette flavouring. Teens tend to use fruit or confectionery flavours, so this scent is usually quite sweet

4 | Harms of e-cigarettes

Nicotine harms adolescent brain development, impacting memory and concentration
Teens are particularly susceptible to nicotine addiction, and those who use e-cigarettes are more likely to take up smoking cigarettes
The short-term side effects of e-cigarette use can include vomiting and nausea
The long-term effects are not yet known, but it is clear that the inhalation of chemicals damages the lung and heart
Even e-cigarettes without nicotine cause harm.

The above information has been sourced from Quit Victoria and is available at quit.org.au/teenvaping

Penny Hsiao

Health Promotion Nurse