Social media spikes trend in dangerous vaping habit for young Queenslanders

Vaping has been taken on as a ‘safe’ alternative to smoking – but Queensland kids joining the ‘trendy’ habit are at risk of potential lung damage, experts warn.

A vaping epidemic is damaging the lungs of young Queenslanders spurred on by social media trends, a leading health foundation has claimed.

The Lung Foundation has called for the over-the-counter sale of vapes and e-liquids to be banned in Australia, following a study from Curtin University that found as many as one in five secretly contain nicotine.

The study also found more than half of the top 50 vape liquids available for sale contained “toxic chemicals” such as bleaches and solvents.

The growing vaping trend in Queensland teens is destructive for their lungs.

Queensland schools have been increasingly alerting parents to vaping trends sweeping school playgrounds, with kids reportedly swapping flavoured e-liquids usually purchased online.

The Lung Foundation chief executive Mark Brooke said he was increasingly concerned that vaping was seen by kids and young people as a “normal, safe practice”, with the potential for devastating, long-term health implications.

“Your lungs aren’t designed to inhale anything but clean, fresh air,” he said.

“Our concern is that vaping becomes the thin edge of the wedge when it comes to normalising smoking.”

Multiple major Queensland schools including The Gap State High School, Kelvin Grove State College, and Cavendish Road State High School have taken steps to address issues with vaping among students this year.

Schools across the state are taking steps to address the issue. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Gold Coast Catholic school Aquinas College has reportedly started locking toilets to restrict vaping.

Schools have also reportedly faced issues with e-cigarette devices being disguised as stationary items, such as pens or highlighters, and being sold or traded among students.

While vapes containing nicotine have been available from overseas sources, from October 1 Aussies will need a prescription to legally obtain any e-cigarette products.

Mr Brooke said theories that a huge difference vaping and e-cigarettes, and traditional cigarettes and drugs, was “an aggressive, multimedia campaign”.

“No heroin company is sponsoring rock bands or Formula 1 companies, but here we have a consumer product which is being marketed to young people from a very young age,” he said.

“The inclusion of fruit, alcohol and confectionary flavours along with deceitful marketing has

meant these products are purposefully positioned as appealing to our younger generation,

including school-age children, and in turn, most detrimental to their futures.

“The damage caused by the continual use of these products could be costing a generation their

freedom to healthy lungs and have our hospital respiratory units facing patients with respiratory issues and even lung disease or cancer.”

Youth health advocate Jahin Tanvir said among his friends, vaping was seen as a “safe alternative to smoking”.

“I do find it quite alarming that they see it as a trendy alternative,” he said.

“As soon as someone introduced it into our group, it caught on.

“I’ve seen a lot of my friends take up vaping and almost become dependent on it, especially in social settings.”

Mr Tanvir said social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram were also major contributors to teens and young people taking up vaping.

“Through social media, you see so much advertising and lots of influencers promoting vaping,” he said.

Many people switch to vaping under the impression it is seen as a safe, trendy alternative to smoking.

“There are all different colours, flavours, even the way vapes are named are very fashionable and trendy.”

Clinical respiratory scientist Sukhwinder Sohal said many users simply do not realise that they may in fact be inhaling harmful chemicals.

“Similar to what was learnt through research on tobacco smoke, we have discovered that e-cigarette vapour in the lungs is neither healthy nor safe,” he said.

“This is most concerning in young vape users who, by naively experimenting with a combination of inhalants, could end up with ongoing respiratory distress and long-term lung damage.”