BACKGROUND: Vaping among Australian young people, like many other countries, has accelerated over the past decade. Given the growing rates of use among young people in Australia, it was crucial to track this information over time to detect behaviour change and inform effective policy, programs and education initiatives. Commencing in 2021, the Generation Vape research project is the first and largest study to track vaping among young Australians over time.
METHODS: The Generation Vape study examines vaping attitudes, beliefs, knowledge and behaviours through 6-monthly online cross-sectional surveys among young people aged 14-24 years. Since February 2022, the study has included a national sample of >25000 young people. This abstract presents survey findings from Wave 2 (February 2022) through to Wave 7 (November 2024). All data for Wave 7 was collected following the 01 October 2024 national legislation changes.
RESULTS: Vape use among 14–24-year-olds has decreased from 22% in 2022 to 16% in 2024. Young people have consistently reported accessing vapes through friends or retail stores and awareness on the harms of vaping has increased over time. Fewer young people in 2024 report that they would vape if one of their best friends were to offer them a vape than in 2022 (23% in W2 vs 15% in W7) and significantly fewer reported that most of their friends vape (11% in W2 vs 8% in W7).
CONCLUSIONS: Australia is among the first countries in the world to show early signs of success in slowing the rise of youth vaping. While stronger vaping regulation has been adopted in Australia, ongoing enforcement is critical in ensuring these early indicators of success become a long-term trend. Studies like Generation Vape are instrumental in tracking behaviour change over time and monitoring the impact of policy. Learnings from the project could be replicated by advocates and researchers internationally.