A ground-breaking behavioural study by Perth-based social enterprise The Behaviour Change Collaborative (The BCC) has found that for most teens, vaping is perceived as normal.

The BCC’s Founder and Managing Director Luke van der Beeke said teenagers themselves confirmed the growing evidence that vaping amongst their peers is widespread.

The research was conducted over two iterative stages with 92 Western Australian teenagers attending school years 7-12. It sheds some much-needed light on the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes and influences on teen vaping in Western Australia.

“While many teens know vaping is ‘bad for them’, their knowledge is superficial. For teens who vape, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

“And for teens, the key benefits are the nicotine hit and the flavourings,” Mr van der Beeke said.

The BCC’s Director Behavioural Insight and project lead Donna van Bueren said the research revealed that for most teens, vaping without nicotine or flavour is considered ‘pointless’.

“The majority of teenagers we spoke with who vape, but do not consider themselves addicted, believe they can reduce their risk by limiting their use.

“And many said they didn’t realise they were addicted until it was too late – most of these expressed regret at having started.

“They also try to reconcile their decision to vape with a belief that vaping isn’t as bad as cigarettes, drugs and self-harm.

“Teens believe vapes are just as addictive as cigarettes, but less harmful. They also find vapes much more appealing,” Mrs van Bueren said.

The absence of clear signals such as health warnings and ingredient labelling on vape packaging and the device itself was found to reinforce the perception that vapes were less harmful than cigarettes.

The research found that youth involvement with vaping isn’t as clear cut as grouping teens into those who vape and those who don’t. Vaping use falls along a continuum from having not tried it and having no desire to do so, to those who are dependent on the product.

Age has some bearing on vaping behaviour but is not the determining factor.

The research also suggests teens reject the notion that vaping is bound up in identity or stereotypes. Rather, it’s just something teenagers do. Most teens were socially introduced to vaping, with their first experience usually occurring in school bathrooms, at parties or friends’ houses.

“The sharing of a vape is a large part of the appeal and is considered normal and omnipresent,” Mrs van Bueren said.

The research indicates that disposable vapes are the most commonly used because they’re easy to access, and cheaper to buy than refillable vapes.

The study found older teens might buy vapes directly from retailers and have rarely, if ever, been asked for ID. Social media trading via ‘drops’ is also common, while younger teens may access vapes through older friends and siblings.

Mr van der Beeke said the research was specifically designed to generate insights that could be used by others to design and pilot interventions to address teen vaping.

“Like everyone in the public health sector, over the past few years we’ve grown increasingly concerned about the apparent increase in vape use amongst children and teenagers.

“There’s a lot of valuable research being undertaken at the moment, and ours adds a behavioural lens to the mix.

“We thought an exploration of the attitudinal and behavioural drivers of teens who vape, and equally importantly, those who don’t vape, would be of real value to efforts to combat this growing public health challenge.

“We’re thankful to Healthway for funding the research and look forward to working with key stakeholders to help address this issue,” Mr van der Beeke said.