Current vaping prevalence among 14-25-year-olds in Australia increased from 2% in 2016 to 17% in 2022/23, with young people with mental health disorders or high psychological distress having approximately three times the odds of weekly or more frequent vaping.
Key Findings
Results
Current vaping prevalence among Australian youth aged 14-25 increased substantially between 2016 and 2022/23.
Current vaping prevalence rose from 2% in 2016 to 4% in 2019 to 17% in 2022/23.
Daily vaping increased from 0.7% to 7% over the same period (2016 to 2022/23).
The largest increase occurred between 2019 and 2022/23.
Temporal trends were assessed using chi-square tests across nationally representative samples (N > 20,000 per survey).
Data were drawn from the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys across three waves: 2016, 2019, and 2022/23.
Results
The majority of young people who had ever vaped in 2022/23 had never smoked cigarettes prior to initiating e-cigarette use.
In 2022/23, 62% of young people who had ever vaped had never smoked before initiating e-cigarette use.
This finding suggests that vaping is not primarily being used as a cigarette substitute among youth but represents independent initiation.
The analysis focused on young people aged 14-25 years.
Results
Young people with mental health disorders or high psychological distress had approximately three times the odds of vaping at least weekly.
The odds ratio for weekly or more frequent vaping among those with mental health disorders or high psychological distress was approximately 3x compared to those without.
Associations were examined using logistic regression models adjusting for demographics.
Mental health indicators and psychological distress were among the variables examined alongside vaping and smoking prevalence and frequency.
Results
E-cigarette use for smoking cessation among youth resulted in very low rates of successfully quitting both smoking and vaping.
Only 1-3% of young people who used e-cigarettes for smoking cessation ceased both smoking and vaping.
Over half of young people were unable to stop or reduce vaping in the previous year.
Although some young people used e-cigarettes for smoking cessation, the data suggest limited effectiveness in this age group.
These findings highlight concerns about dual use and vaping dependence among youth.
Methods
The study used repeated cross-sectional analyses of nationally representative Australian household survey data to examine youth vaping trends.
Data came from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Surveys: 2016, 2019, and 2022/23.
Each survey had a nationally representative sample of N > 20,000.
Analyses focused on young people aged 14-25 years.
Chi-square tests assessed temporal trends; logistic regression models examined associations between at least weekly vaping and mental health variables, adjusting for demographics.
What This Means
This research suggests that vaping among young Australians aged 14-25 has dramatically increased over a relatively short period, rising from about 2% in 2016 to 17% by 2022/23. Notably, daily vaping increased tenfold over this same period. A striking finding is that nearly two-thirds of young people who had ever vaped had never smoked cigarettes before trying e-cigarettes, indicating that vaping is not simply a substitute for smoking but represents a new and independent behavior among Australian youth.
The study also found a strong link between mental health and vaping: young people with mental health disorders or high levels of psychological distress were about three times more likely to vape at least weekly compared to those without these challenges. Additionally, using e-cigarettes to try to quit smoking proved largely ineffective for young people — only 1-3% successfully stopped both smoking and vaping, and more than half were unable to reduce or stop vaping within a year, suggesting that many young people are becoming dependent on e-cigarettes.
These findings matter because they highlight that youth vaping has become a significant and rapidly growing public health issue in Australia, particularly affecting young people who are already vulnerable due to mental health challenges. This research suggests that policy responses need to address vaping not just as a smoking-related issue but as a standalone concern, with targeted support for young people with mental health difficulties, better training for clinicians, and stronger school-based prevention programs.
Teo S, Browne V, Baker D, Stapinski L, Filia S, Brown E, et al.. (2026). Trends in vaping prevalence and mental health associations among Australian youth: Cross-sectional analysis 2016-2023.. The International journal on drug policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105293