In 2022/23, 30% of Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years had ever vaped.

In 2022/23, 16% of Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years had vaped at all in the past month. Regular vaping (defined as vaping at least 20 days out of the past month) was reported by 5%, and a further 3% vaped every day during the past month.

National Australian data indicate that vaping has been increasing over time among Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years. In 2014, 13% of secondary students had ever vaped and 3% had done so in the past month, compared to 30% and 16% in 2022/23, respectively.

There is preliminary data indicating that vaping among young people has started to decrease again, following the introduction of new laws in 2024 (see FAQ What are the laws regarding e-cigarette (or vapes) in Australia?).

In 2022/23, female secondary school students aged 12-17 years were significantly more likely than male students to report ever vaping (35% vs 25%), vaping in the past month (19% vs 13%), regular vaping (20+ times in the past month) (6% vs 4%), and daily vaping (4% vs 2%).

In 2022/23, Australian secondary school students aged 16-17 years were significantly more likely than younger students (aged 12-15 years) to report ever vaping (43% vs 24%), vaping in the past month (22% vs 13%), regular vaping (20+ times in the past month) (8% vs 3%), and daily vaping (6% vs 2%).

In 2022/23 among Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who have ever vaped, most used an e-cigarette for the first time when they were 13 years old (23%) or younger (23%).

In 2022/23, most Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who had vaped in the past month typically used a disposable vaping device (80%). Two percent used a pod device (e.g. a JUUL device) and 3% reported using another type of device (e.g. an e-cigarette that uses replaceable cartridges or a device with a refillable tank). Fifteen percent of students didn’t know what type of device they used most often.

In 2022/23, most Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who had ever vaped obtained their last e-cigarette from a friend (60%), and 45% indicated that their friend was under 18 years of age. Twelve percent of students bought the e-cigarette themselves, 7% got it from a sibling, and 7% got someone else to buy it for them.

Of those who bought their own e-cigarette, the largest proportion purchased it from a vape shop (29%), while other sources included the internet (20%), a tobacconist/tobacco shop (12%) or a dealer (10%).

In 2022/23, 3% of secondary school students aged 12-17 years reported both smoking cigarettes and vaping in the past month. Dual use of tobacco cigarettes and vapes was more likely among older (5%) than younger (2%) students.

In 2022/23 among Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who had ever vaped, most (69%) had never smoked a tobacco cigarette at the time they first tried vaping. Of these students, 20% reported tobacco smoking (at least a few puffs) at some point after they tried vaping.

In 2022/23, 15% of Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who had never vaped before indicated that they were open to vaping in the future (i.e. when asked about their intention to vape in the next 12 months, they gave a response other than “certain not to be vaping”). Female students were more likely than male students to be open to vaping in the future (21% vs 11%, respectively).

In 20223/23, approximately one third (35%) of Australian secondary school students aged 12-17 years who had vaped in the past month reported that they would experience some difficulty in stopping.