Teenagers reveals shocking extent of vape addiction in schools

The three girls shared a peek inside Australian high schools where kids are sneaking puffs behind their teachers’ backs.

Three teenage girls have admitted they are so addicted to vapes that they sneak puffs inside the classroom and get withdrawals without them.

It comes as a shocking new report released last week confirmed fears that disposable vapes contained dangerous chemicals, such as lead and formaldehyde.

The three students – who all wished to remain anonymous – admitted that knowing e-cigarettes contained harmful chemicals was not enough for them to kick their addiction.

Three teenagers admit to vaping in class. Picture: 7 News Spotlight

“I know there’s harmful chemicals in it, but it’s not going to stop (people) from smoking it,” one of the girls told 7 News Spotlight on Sunday.

“Pretty much all my friends do it and they are all heavily addicted,” another said.

They said students regularly got away with sneaking a puff from behind their hand in class while their teachers’ backs were turned.

One of the girls said her addiction had become so intense that she suffered withdrawals if she went without it.

“I get very anxious, I get the shakes, headaches,” she described.

They said students who were unable to get away with secretly smoking at home would often return to school with a desperate craving on a Monday morning.

A staggering new report has found vapes can contain dangerous chemicals like lead and formaldehyde. Picture: AFP

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk ordered the groundbreaking report on vapes after growing concerns the “lolly” flavoured vapes were appealing to children.

The chemical composition of 17 vape samples, including strawberry watermelon ice, cherry ice, summer breeze and apple surge, all formed part of the lab study.

“These results are staggering,” Ms Palaszczuk said on Saturday.

“There are people who might think vaping is safer than smoking or, indeed, harmless.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the report showed vaping was not safer than smoking. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

“These test results should make those people think again.”

All of the samples were found to contain formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, the former being classified with the potential to cause cancer in humans.

Arsenic and zinc were also found to be present in all of the e-liquids, while other heavy metals found included lead, mercury, nickel, chromium, aluminium, iron, barium, manganese, copper, strontium and vanadium.

It is illegal in most states to purchase vaping devices containing nicotine without a prescription.

The federal government announced a $737 commitment to crack down on the use of tobacco and vaping products in Australia, with a focus on banning importation.

Originally published as Teenagers reveals shocking extent of vape addiction in schools