Young Aussies reveal their vaping addiction and struggle with trying to quit as they warn others

Melbourne hospitality worker Aderline, 24, is one of the faces of Australia’s vaping crisis. Watch video. Warning: Graphic

Exclusive: Croz was 14 when he first started vaping, and would puff up to 100 times a day.

For years it was the last thing he did at night and the first thing he did in the morning.

Hospitality worker Aderline, 24, needed an ambulance after she collapsed and couldn’t breathe after vaping. Despite the health scare, she hasn’t been able to stop.

And uni student Joy, 19, used to feel nauseous or vomit every time she vaped, but she did it anyway, for that “10 second headspin”.

These young people are among 11 who have bravely come forward to tell their own stories for a social media campaign about the dangers of vaping, in what could be the start of a #metoo moment for vapers.

Watch the video above.

Young Aussies speaking out about the effect vaping on their lives are (from left) Jade, 20, Aderline, 24, Annebel, 20, Croz, 18, Sio, 19, Rachel, 23, Joy, 19, Amber, 25, Kate, 20, Keegan, 18, and Ethan, 18. Picture: Uncloud

New research from the Minderoo Foundation, a philanthropic organisation that is behind the campaign, reveals just how widespread e-cigarettes are among young Australians.

Just under a third of those aged between 14 and 25 have vaped in the past month, one in 10 vape daily and, among vapers, one in 10 say they’re addicted and six in 10 want to quit.

Director of Minderoo’s Cancer Mission Professor Claire Wakefield said more than half a million young Australians were vaping every day and some schoolkids were so addicted they needed nicotine patches on school camps or to get through an exam.

“It just seems like a real tragedy there’s a lot of them that now know what it feels like to be addicted to nicotine,” Prof Wakefield said.

“The bravery shown by young Australians who are now standing up and speaking out on the issues surrounding vaping is truly inspiring. It is our hope that their collective actions, combined with the great work from researchers, governments, and the health sector, will create a tipping point that empowers children and young people to say no to using this insidious product.”

Director of Minderoo Cancer Mission, Professor Claire Wakefield. Picture: Supplied

She said the one glimmer of hope was that there was a growing desire to quit.

Croz, 18 and from Sydney, but living in Canberra, is one of the lucky ones, who has managed to stop, but he believes his lungs have still not recovered.

He started vaping because friends were doing “pretty cool” tricks with vapes and it was fun to try new flavours.

Before he knew it, he was addicted to nicotine.

“I was finding more and more excuses to do it,” Croz said.

He bought illegal vapes from under the counter at convenience stores and said most sellers did not care how old he was.

Watch Croz’s story on how he got hooked below:

In Australia, vapes containing nicotine are only available via prescription, to be used as a tool to help stop smoking.

Croz said the nicotine messed with his head and made it harder to focus and study. He also felt his lungs “were always clogged” and spent six days in hospital after getting sick from tonsillitis from sharing a vape.

Croz is one of the teens speaking of the effect vaping has had on their lives. Picture: Uncloud

Even being caught with a vape at school wasn’t enough of a scare to get him to stop.

This year Croz decided he’d had enough and quit cold turkey.

Six months later he can still feel congestion in his lungs, which he believes is linked to his four-year habit, but the constant coughing up of phlegm has eased.

Croz said he had friends who wanted to quit because it was holding them back in sport; others were “sick of being addicted, draining their pockets and not feeling anything from it anymore”.

“I think lots of young people, they know the experience and they know that they’re addicted, and they know that they want to stop doing it. It’s definitely a hard process for young people, especially since we’ve grown up with it pretty much.”

Aderline, from Melbourne, is desperate to quit but can’t.

She said vaping creates a lot of phlegm in her throat and she has to spit quite a bit to get rid of it.

Watch Aderline explain how she got addicted below:

She now no longer drinks alcohol, because the last time she drank and vaped she couldn’t breathe and an ambulance had to be called.

“I don’t know how that didn’t get me to stop, but it just shows how addicted I’ve become to nicotine,” Aderline said.

“I want to give it up, but I don’t know how.”

She’s now tracking her vaping and said she vapes 50 to 70 times a day. On a bad day it’s 100 and she spends between $60 to $100 a week on vapes.

Aderline is desperate to quit vaping. Picture: Uncloud

Annabel said it was heartbreaking to see friends hooked. Picture: Uncloud

Sydney student 20-year-old Annabel said it was heartbreaking as a non-vaper to see many of her friends hooked on nicotine. Her girlfriend has gone out at 1am to beg a cigarette or vape from strangers in a park, while another has started vomiting – known as ‘nic-sick’ – after vaping.

“The symptoms for one friend have gotten worse,” Annabel said. “In the last few weeks she’s vomited three or four times; once it happened in the elevator on school campus.”

Joy, 19, from Brisbane has weaned herself off vapes, but was so hooked she would puff even though she knew it would make her nauseous or vomit.

The whole vaping cycle made her feel incredibly anxious.

“My body struggled with it,” Joy said. “But I was always craving the headspin. That 10-seconds of instant gratification.”

Joy and Croz drafting their warnings about vaping. Picture: Uncloud

The government announced in May it would ban the importation of non-prescription vaping products, although no details have been released yet.

Prof Wakefield said research shows a rise in dual nicotine users – those who vape who have started smoking as well.

Croz said he had his first cigarette after being unable to buy a vape.

He wants to give hope to young people that they can quit. He said the vaping industry was making tons of money from young people and that had to stop.

“It starts with people giving it up, telling friends to give up,” Croz said. “And yeah, just showing there’s actually hope out there to get off nicotine forever.”