Why are our children using disposable vapes?
Since the introduction of the prescription model in October 2021, it has become significantly easier for young people to get their hands on these single-use vaping devices. The main reasons for this include:
• Adults needing a prescription to import Nic Vaping Products (NVP)
• The limited number of doctors in the country who are knowledgeable enough to write such a prescription
• The exploitation of customs limitations by savvy individuals who knew that nicotine is not a restricted import and that packages would not be inspected unless narcotics were detected. The Health Department, although authorized to inspect suspected NVP parcels, lacked the resources to carry out inspections at airports.
• These individuals imported not just boxes but entire shipping containers of NVP through the loophole created by the TGA.
• Chinese suppliers were willing to label the products as nicotine-free, even though most contained potent 50mg (5%) nic salts
• They began selling wholesale quantities (100-200 units) to anyone via social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The primary buyers were usually teenagers with extensive school networks.
• Students, many of whom had never smoked before, started buying these supposedly nicotine-free disposables and quickly became addicted to the “buzz” they got from the 50mg vapes. They embraced these devices, which came in a variety of flavors.
• As the prices of these vapes were significantly marked up (500% & higher), students began sharing them in school bathrooms.
• Once they ran out, they experienced withdrawal symptoms and confessed to their parents and doctors, who identified these as nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Despite parental confiscation and punishment, teenagers were often caught with another vape soon after. Frustrated parents, unaware of the nicotine content in these devices, began blaming the product and calling for a ban on all vapes.
• This situation was convenient for the TGA, as the outcry from millions of angry parents drowned out the voices of over 200,000 adult vapers who saw vaping as a modern health miracle.
What the TGA & Federal Health did:
• The TGA announced another senate inquiry/think tank to address parental outrage and called for public submissions.
• Unfortunately, the scope was limited to only four options, none of which included recreational vaping. As a result, 4,000 submissions were rejected for being out of scope.
• Public health organizations, fearing their future relevance in tobacco control, decided to double down on the current de facto ban, wasting millions of taxpayer dollars by increasing staff and putting additional pressure on customs. This approach will not solve the problem; it will only exacerbate it. Criminals have already recognized the potential for massive profits and are pressuring tobacco shops to sell their product under the counter. If the shops refuse, they face the threat of arson. The TGA created this environment and put vapes in the hands of high school students while simultaneously infringing on the rights of adult vapers who have experienced significant health improvements since switching to vaping.
• Your teenager is being used as a pawn in this situation.
• Consider this: if vapes were only available to those 18 and older, would it be harder for your teenager to get a fake ID and buy from a licensed seller, or to simply order one on WhatsApp and have it delivered to your street corner?
Health concerns exaggerated by teenage use:
• Nicotine harms the developing brain.
o If this were true, we would have a generation of brain-dead Baby Boomers. My mother, for example, started smoking in her early teens, switched to vaping, and is now smoke-free.
o Nicotine is available to children over 12 in the form of patches, sprays, and flavored gums. Is the government allowing “brain damage”?
o Vaping while pregnant harms the developing fetus.
My wife lost several pregnancies when she stopped vaping/smoking due to stress. On our last attempt, I made her a 2mg mix to vape. Her stress levels were manageable, and we successfully had a healthy boy. We’re almost 50 now! But we’re just anecdotes using common sense that we feel is right for us.
• Cold turkey won’t work with a teenager.
o Teenagers are notoriously lazy and dishonest.
o They won’t tolerate withdrawals.
o To successfully wean them off, you must explain why disposables are bad. They are intended for hardened and disabled smokers.
o A successful off-ramp involves gradually reducing their nicotine intake and then switching them to a simple base nicotine liquid. This would still result in a vaping teenager, but they would be consuming less nicotine, at a much lower cost.