Schoolchildren view vaping as "relatively harmless" and that it helps them deal with stress and anxiety, according to school teachers and counselors dealing with the aftermath of the teenage vaping crisis.

An increasing number of students are being suspended for vaping. (Supplied)

Perth clinical psychologist Donna Stambulich sees evidence that a new generation of nicotine addicts is emerging as the federal government pledges to crack down on a thriving black market in vaping.

Vaping was a factor in the significantly higher number of parents seeking treatment for their 12- to 24-year-olds, she said.

Dr. Stanbridge said: "Last year, I saw 34 children alone, which is a huge increase from two years ago ... It (vaping) was really not on our attention before. Point."

"[It] may not be the main reason they walk in the door, but it's certainly one of the factors that make them come to see a doctor.

"Vaping, in general, goes hand in hand with what's not quite right in young people's lives."

Some schools say they are taking an educational approach to vaping rather than punishing students. (ABC News: Tahlia Roy)

"It could be social isolation, anxiety, depression."

Young girls with body image issues are using vaping as an appetite suppressant, Dr Stanbridge said.

"It's unbelievably sad that a lot of girls are coming, teenage girls with body dysphobia, eating disorders, and they think vaping will reduce their appetite and they don't have to eat," she said.

E-cigarettes gain popularity among under-18s

Under existing laws, nicotine e-cigarettes can only be bought by prescription by adults trying to quit smoking.

It is illegal to sell or possess nicotine e-cigarettes without a prescription.

But in fact, there are growing numbers of vapers among the under-18s, who buy disposable e-cigarettes, mainly on the black market, which are imported and packaged in fluorescent colors and sweeteners. taste to sell.

A reusable e-cigarette is a battery-operated device that heats a cartridge of liquid nicotine and flavoring into a vapor that is inhaled. (ABC News: Dane Hirst)

Primary and secondary school teachers, nurses and students told a new study that children as young as 11 are vaping at school, and there is often a "vaping trade" on campus, where some students buy in bulk and sell it to others.

Researchers at Curtin University's School of Population Health have been told that some students believe e-cigarettes are harmless, despite some containing the same chemicals found in cleaning products, herbicides and nail polish remover.

One student told the researchers: "You don't see a lot of 'vaping bad health ads' and all that, but it smells better. Like it just feels cleaner...I don't know either .”

The researchers interviewed about 70 parents, teachers, school nurses and young people aged 14 to 18 at schools in the Perth metropolitan area. It is reported that their research has not yet been published.

Lead researcher Jonine Jancey said the study confirmed that vaping was widespread in schools and that teachers were extremely concerned.

Teachers told the researchers that the e-cigarettes are easy to hide in schools because they are made to look like everyday items like pens, highlighters and USB sticks, and because the aroma of the e-cigarettes dissipates quickly.

Professor Jansi said the study showed teachers were very concerned about vaping. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

"They also talked about the effect on themselves, on the teachers themselves, how they felt quite distressed about the whole issue, how they had to send young people home after they got sick from overdose .”

In a bid to combat the growing popularity of vaping, the WA Departments of Education and Health have released an anti-vaping toolkit for schools aimed at raising awareness of the health risks of vaping.

School closures soar

Data shows a sharp rise in school suspensions for vaping.

In Queensland, the number of drug-related school suspensions doubled last year to more than 8000, with the rise largely driven by vaping.

In Western Australia, there were 3732 suspensions for vaping in the state's public schools last year.

There were 570 suspensions in the first five weeks of term one this year.

Pupils in primary and secondary schools use vaping as a "coping mechanism", a Perth study has found. (Unsplash: Toan Nguyen)

The growing appeal of vaping among young people was confirmed by a recent survey by The George Institute for Global Health, which found 14 per cent of 1006 Australians aged 15 to 30 surveyed were vapers.

That's a marked increase from the 2019 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, which found about 5 percent of young adults were users at the time, the institute said.

Last year, the WA government seized more than 15,000 single-use nicotine e-cigarettes from retailers across the state over a six-week period, although it is illegal to sell nicotine e-cigarettes to anyone without a prescription, regardless of purchase. The age of the person.

Calls to ban e-cigarettes

As vaping normalizes among young people, pressure is mounting on the federal government to tighten border controls on, or even ban, vaping products.

Respiratory physician John Blakey of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth supports the latter option.

He worries that young Australians are doing serious damage to their lungs, both in the long and medium term.

Dr Blakey fears nicotine dependence rates will rise again. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

"For example, they cause increased inflammation in the lungs, they cause bacteria to become more sticky to the airway walls, so people are more likely to get an infection, and the infection is more likely to be severe," he said.

"We've done a good job of reducing Australia's nicotine dependence.

"And that's one way Big Tobacco is trying to recruit new smokers to replace those who have died or quit.

"We don't want this problem to come back, and if our rates of smoking or nicotine dependence rise again, it will cause those hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths."

Many disposable e-cigarettes purchased by young people do not provide any information on nicotine levels, but research shows that most products do contain the addictive substance.

Even without nicotine, vaping is potentially dangerous, Dr Blakey said. (Supplied: Pixabay)

Dr Blakey, who is also a senior clinical research fellow at the Institute of Respiratory Health, said vaping was potentially dangerous even without nicotine.

"If you smoke organic compounds, and you heat them up and inhale them, you're not really sure what's in those organic compounds, and they can certainly be harmful," he said.

Regulatory measures are coming

A sweeping overhaul of e-cigarette regulation across the country is expected this year.

Following a public consultation, The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) made recommendations to the federal government on the direction of reform.

Dr Blakey is also the President of the Western Australian Chapter of the Australian Thoracic Society. In its submission, the association described vaping as a "public health emergency", saying evidence of direct lung harm from nicotine e-cigarettes had been steadily accumulating since nicotine e-cigarettes entered the market as "untested consumer products". .

Meanwhile, the Convenience Stores Association of Australia is pushing for a model similar to New Zealand's, where nicotine e-cigarettes could be sold to adults, just like cigarettes. Both parties want to end the current black market.

But Dr Blakey sees no value in allowing vaping at all, saying there are more effective ways to get smokers to quit permanently.

"Research shows that most people who switch to vaping just keep vaping," he said.

"Just getting people to switch from cigarettes to vaping and then keep them vaping is not enough."

The federal government is currently working with state health ministers to develop a new set of measures around vaping.

coping with the consequences

Meanwhile, parents and teachers are grappling with the latest, deeply disruptive school craze.

"Most parents are in a state of fear, absolutely terrified, of their kids vaping and of what that will lead to," Donna Stambridge said.

"They feel guilty, 'How did I not notice this? Why haven't I been around?'"

Dr. Steinbridge advises parents not to overreact, but not to deny it if they find out their child is vaping.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Stanbridge sees a new generation of nicotine addicts taking shape. (ABC News: Claire Moodie)

Parents must educate themselves about the dangers of vaping and then choose the right moment to talk to their children, she said.

"Do it in a very non-confrontational way when you're in the car, or walking the dog on the beach," she said.

The WA Mental Health Commission said its Drug and Alcohol Youth Service (DAYS) provided confidential free services to young people aged 12 to 21 and their families, including counselling, rehabilitation, medical and psychological services.

"DAYS clinicians provide young people with information and support to help them reduce smoking or vaping. However, young people who use DAYS primarily see help in stopping or reducing their other drug use," said Deputy Commissioner for Mental Health Operations Ann Marie Cunniffe said.

The committee said DAYS does not collect data on vaping, but it estimated the number of inquiries was very low.

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