New study underlines high popularity of flavours and colours of disposable ENDS among young people

A new study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health aiming to track teenagers’ knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours about using e-cigarettes found teenagers are readily accessing flavoured, disposable vaping products.

The study used data from the first wave of the Generation Vape research project, a three-year study with Australian teenagers, young adults, parents and guardians of teenagers, and secondary school teachers.

The survey of over 700 teenagers who were 14-17 years old from New South Wales found 32% had used e-cigarettes. Of these, more than half (54%) had never previously smoked. It found most teens (70%) didn’t directly buy the last e-cigarette they used, with the majority (80%) getting it from their friends.

Of the teens who had used e-cigarettes and reported the type of device they used, 86% had used a disposable e-cigarette device. Teens rated “flavourings and taste” as the most important characteristic of vapes they used. Some teens reported they were unsure whether they had used an e-cigarette containing nicotine (27%) or not.

Disposable e-cigarettes containing nicotine, or electronic, nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), can only be legally sold in Australia by pharmacies to adult users with a valid prescription. The researchers have called for strong and immediate policy action, warning that the most popular devices are designed to be highly appealing to young people, with a focus on flavours and colours

Australia is seen as a forerunner in tobacco control measures, introducing various, effective regulations early on, such as advertising bans and plain packaging. Even within the context of strong tobacco control policies, we see that the explosion of ENDS use amongst youth persists.

It begs to question that if youth consumption of ENDS is as present as it is in Australia, what can be expected of youth consumption in Switzerland, where tobacco control policies remain weak? Switzerland still lacks a comprehensive national ban on sales of tobacco and nicotine products to minors and only a few cantons have banned sales of e-cigarettes to minors. At the same time, the market of disposable ENDS is posed to grow by 2’200% in 2022 only.

The study highlights the need for a comprehensive surveillance system in Switzerland, as up-to-date data on ENDS use, particularly amongst youth does not exist, as well as the urgent need for prevention campaigns against the use of disposable ENDS.

See the original Study here: Vaping product access and use among 14–17-year-olds in New South Wales: a cross-sectional study