Jessica Moloney, working at Brophy Family and Youth Services in Warrnambool, has observed a shift in the main addiction among young people seeking help, with vaping now surpassing alcohol and cannabis. Many teenagers who experiment with vaping often cite peer pressure and curiosity as the primary reasons for trying it, with phrases like "all my friends are doing it" being a common justification for starting.
One example is Declan Hill, who began vaping at 11 after friends encouraged him, thinking it would make him more popular. Peer pressure played a significant role in his decision, and it took the support and advice from friends to help him quit vaping three months ago. Another student, Isabella Cartwright, also started vaping at a young age and highlighted the accessibility of vapes as a factor contributing to their popularity among teenagers.
Ms Moloney notes that some young people turned to vaping as an alternative to smoking cigarettes, emphasizing that peer pressure can be both a driving force for starting and a critical factor in quitting. She underscores the importance of peer support in spreading accurate information about the risks of vaping, suggesting that information shared by peers based on evidence can be more impactful than traditional education methods.
In response to the rising concerns around teenage vaping, the Victorian parliamentary inquiry has addressed the issue, with some schools investing in vaping detectors. Trish Quibell, the CEO of Shepparton's Primary Care Connect, proposed the establishment of vaping-specific peer support groups for teenagers to combat the crisis. This approach, involving peer support workers with lived experiences, mirrors successful models utilized in adult alcohol and other drug services to address the growing issue effectively.