Most teens say vapes are easy to obtain and one in three admit to having vaped, survey says

Most teenagers in WA say vapes are easy to access and many believe parents are clueless about their kid’s habits, a shocking new survey has found.

The report — undertaken in May and released on Thursday — from Children and Young People Commissioner Jacqueline McGowan-Jones surveyed more than 3000 kids between 12 and 18 years old, with nearly one in three admitting they have tried vaping.

The findings reveal vaping has become more popular than smoking cigarettes and that 73 per cent of teens thought vapes were “pretty easy” or “super easy” to get.

Almost one in 10 said they vaped everyday or most days -- about twice the rate as those who said they smoked all or most days.

The survey found young people want adults to be more aware of the health impacts of vaping and called on parents to step up and “take responsibility”.

“They should be a parent and actually do their role and don’t let them vape,” one 16-year-old said.

Young respondents said parents were often clueless regarding their kid’s vaping behaviour and unaware of the signs.

“It happens more than they realise and everyone is exposed to vapes at least once in their life, in the school bathrooms etc,” one teen said.

“I wish adults realised how common it is for their children to vape. They may think their child is well behaved but chances are they have a vape or two in their pocket or drawers,” another wrote.

According to KidsHealth, signs a teenager is vaping include new symptoms such as coughing and wheezing and new smells.

Children surveyed also want adults to be more understanding of the complex reasons, including peer pressure, that lead to vaping.

“Many parents and schools see vaping at face value and only punish those guilty of it without bothering to understand the compounding issues, like peer pressure, addiction, or insecurity,” one surveyed teen said.

The survey found the top three reasons young people vaped were the taste or flavour, a perception that vaping was cool and peer pressure.

Other reasons included addiction, the colours, that they are easy to hide, they smell nice and that they are a way to rebel.

Commissioner Jacqueline McGowan-Jones said vaping was having a significant detrimental impact on young people’s behaviour, health, outcomes at school, and their relationships.

“This report will promote conversation between parents, schools, clinicians and policy-makers and share insights into the biggest issues for children and young people and the impacts of vaping,” she said.

Doctors believe vaping is less harmful than smoking, but the long-term effects of the relatively new practice are unknown and vaping still causes lung damage and is associated with short-term health problems including nausea, airway irritation, chest pain and heart palpitations.