Findings from a Cancer Institute NSW study published in issue no. 204 of the Medical Journal of Australia [MJA) involving 3,000 NSW smokers and recent quitters has revealed Gen Y smokers are increasingly turning to e-cigarettes in a bid to dodge heightened smoking bans.
The jury is still out on how healthy electronic cigarettes are, and whether vaping could serve as a gateway to smoking for young people.
The study, commissioned by Cancer Institute NSW has found young people are gravitating towards the use of e-cigarettes, in response to the roll-out of a string of smoking bans in public places.
Young people view the device as a healthy alternative to smoking, and reportedly, enjoy the taste of electronic cigarettes.
A fiery debate now exists over the legitimacy of e-cigarettes as a valid quit smoking tool, and the long-term health implications of the growing trend of vaping.
Vaping is most popular among young smokers, with the study reporting people aged 18-29 are the biggest users of the device.
According to the MJA, young people choose e-cigarettes because they are reportedly not as detrimental to health as traditional cigarettes.
Meanwhile, adults aged 30+ are more likely to use e-cigarettes as a purely short-term tool to curb their smoking habits.
Study co-author, Dr Anita Dessaix, urged smokers to remain cognisant of the potential long-term impacts of e-cigarette consumption, expressing concern over the normalisation of smoking, a likely flow-on effect from the use of e-cigarettes.
E-cigarettes are currently legal in Australia, barring devices that contain the ingredient nicotine.
As part of this year’s Federal Budget, the government has announced the introduction of a new tobacco excise, which will see the cost of a pack of cigarettes rise to an estimated $41 over the ensuing four years.
“Significant increases on the price of cigarettes are a huge motivator for people to quit, especially among those that can least afford the habit — people from low socio-economic backgrounds and young people”, Dr Dessaix told News.com.au.
While these increased costs are expected to deter money-conscious students from smoking, the excise may inadvertently lead to a further rise in the popularity of e-cigarettes.
In the past decade we have witnessed the growth of vaping as a glamorous lifestyle choice in the western world, particularly in the UK and the US.
On the back of the Cancer Institute NSW study findings, it’s safe to assume that Australia will follow suit.
In spite of this, Gen Y smokers from Victoria should exercise caution before rushing out to buy e-cigarettes in bulk.
The device will be banned in all areas where cigarette smoking is prohibited in Victoria, under new laws anticipated to come into effect in the latter half of 2016.
Victorian Health Minister, The Hon. Jill Hennessy MP, has joined the anti-vaping camp, asserting vaping could be a gateway to smoking for young people.
“We don’t want e-cigarettes being used to glamorise smoking by people under 18,” Ms Hennessy told ABC News.
The trend of vaping will continue to polarise popular opinion, until further studies shed light on the longer-term health repercussions of e-cigarettes.