Flourish Health & Wellbeing Magazine May 25 - Flipbook - Page 13
Fire & safety risks
Vapes can explode or catch 昀椀re. Burns and
injuries from vapes can be fatal. Burns and
injuries most commonly occur on faces,
hands, and around the genitals (when vapes
are kept in pockets). Some people have
died from head wounds from exploding
vapes. Vapes can also cause small and large
昀椀res, and therefore injury.
Poisoning risk
The high levels of nico琀椀ne in vapes make
the vape liquid dangerous. E-liquids are
poisonous if swallowed, spilt on the skin,
or if it gets in the eyes. Nico琀椀ne poisoning
causes seizures that can be fatal. There have
been many accidental poisonings of children
under the age of six. See more informa琀椀on
on the dangers of liquid nico琀椀ne.
Vaping in Australia on the rise
Vaping rates have been rising over the
past decade, with a rapid increase among
young adults over the past few years. The
2022–2023 report found that 6.8% of
Australian adults used vapes, up from 2.6%
in 2019. The 18 to 24-year-old age group
reported the highest use at 20.6%, which is
about four 琀椀mes the rate in 2019 (5.3%).
Concerningly, 38% of young people
aged 18 to 24 have vaped at least once,
indica琀椀ng a growing trend among the
younger popula琀椀on.
Increased likelihood of smoking
There is strong evidence that vaping
approximately triples the chance that
someone will start smoking tobacco
cigare琀琀es, pu琀�ng them at risk of all the
health harms associated with smoking.
This may be caused by vapes crea琀椀ng
nico琀椀ne addic琀椀on and normalising
smoking behaviours.
UNMASKING
THE APPEAL:
INDUSTRY TACTICS
The tobacco and nico琀椀ne
industries have long employed
strategies to make their
products appealing, par琀椀cularly
to younger audiences. These
tac琀椀cs include:
• Flavourings: Introducing
flavours like fruit or candy to
mask the harshness of tobacco
and attract new users.
• Sleek Designs: Creating stylish
and modern product designs
that appeal to the youth.
• Targeted Marketing: Utilising
social media platforms and
influencers to promote
products subtly.
• Misleading Information:
Presenting vaping as a
completely safe alternative to
smoking, despite existing
health risks.
This World No Tobacco Day,
let’s come together to unmask
these decep琀椀ve tac琀椀cs and
advocate for a healthier, smokefree future. By staying informed
and spreading awareness, we
can protect ourselves and future
genera琀椀ons from the harms of
tobacco and nico琀椀ne products.
For more information and
resources, visit the World
Health Organization’s World
No Tobacco Day page.
Looking to quit smoking?
Visit www.quit.org.au
