Vaping a gateway to smoking for Aussie teens, study shows [Video]

Aussie teens are five times more likely to try smoking after vaping, according to new research published today.

The effect is even more pronounced for younger adolescents. Twelve-year-olds who have vaped are 29 times more likely to then pick up a cigarette.

The research was conducted by the Daffodil Centre, a joint venture between Cancer Council NSW and the University of Sydney, and published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

The study draws on survey responses from more than 5100 teenagers collected in 2023, before Australia’s tough new laws that effectively make vaping illegal without a prescription came into effect on July 1.

“It’s the first Australian study to look at the relationship between teenage vape use and smoking over time, and across different ages,” lead author Sam Egger said.

“Even after accounting for other factors that could influence the …