Health warnings and horror stories unlikely to persuade youth to stop vaping, Murdoch University study finds

Advertisements warning youngsters about the dangers of vaping do little to deter them from the addictive habit, new research has shown.

The Department of Health recently launched its “why are we still doing this?” campaign that showcases the symptoms of e-cigarettes, including shortness of breath and its impact on lungs.

Cancer Council WA is also running a Clear the Air campaign, featuring personal stories of young people who have quit.

Murdoch University psychology professor Charles Young said young people were likely to vape as social benefits often outweighed the perceived harms.

“Health warnings and horror stories often have limited impact on young people because the risks feel distant and abstract,” he said.

“Many of the harms associated with vaping are long term and not immediately visible, so they do not carry the same psychological weight as the immediate social rewards of the behaviour.

“Even when young people are aware of the risks, immediate rewards are often given greater weight than possible future harms.”

Professor Young said the health facts alone were not enough to discourage teenagers.

“In many public health domains, information on its own doesn’t necessarily translate to behaviour change.

“They are an important part of a public health campaign so I don’t want to suggest that they are not helpful but it’s very limited.

“There is no single solution. What is needed is a coordinated strategy that reduces supply, reduces demand and minimises harm through consistent regulation, visible enforcement, public education and support for nicotine dependence.”

Professor Young said young people were also often buying illegal vapes, which came with no health warnings on them, meaning many were not getting any messaging on the risks at all.

He said this was concerning as many illegal vapes contain nicotine, which can be highly addictive and lead to dependence or even eventually smoking cigarettes.

The warning comes as new research revealed smoking rates among young people were expected to soar this year as they turn to illegal vapes for recreational purposes, only to later get hooked on cigarettes.

City Beach in Perth’s west had Australia’s lowest smoking rate of 2.6 per cent and a similarly low vaping rate of 2.2 per cent, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data showed.

When it came to poorer or more remote regional areas vaping rates were also low in areas with much higher-than-average smoking rates.

South Hedland in WA’s far north Pilbara region had a smoking rate of 28.9 per cent but a vaping rate of 6.2 per cent.