This is the first time in Quitline’s history that adolescents as young as 13 are calling the hotline for assistance due to a vaping addiction.
Dr. Sarah White, the director of Quit Victoria, stated that the number of inquiries from teenagers to the Victorian branch of the nonprofit is something unusual in their history for the past 30 years they’ve been in existence.
“Pro-vaping activists exclusively speak about individuals who have successfully stopped smoking through vaping, whereas people who haven’t don’t express their tales,” White added. “However, the evidence we have received indicates that people are in dire need.” This year, we’ve had two 13-year-olds ask for assistance.”
Counselors at the Victorian Quitline have started documenting de-identified data concerning the types of inquiries they handle, such as the caller’s concerns and age, alongside other details, to learn more regarding the recipients of their services and why. This data is stored safely in a patient-management system.
Some of the de-identified occurrence reports released to Guardian Australia show how Quitline counselors handle inquiries from vapers who are attempting to stop vaping for the first time. Counselors are also getting phone calls from parents whose kids are hooked on vaping and suffering detrimental consequences like chest pain and coughing.
“One of the incident reports stated that 80% of his buddies vape and that he felt very strongly hooked; he vapes upon awakening and picks it up every five minutes, according to one of the incident reports.
Another mentioned how a 13-year-old was encouraged by their teacher to contact them from school. “Introduced to vaping by older friends while in sixth grade,” the report stated. “Vaping is generating issues in a variety of settings, including schools, families, as well as relationships.”
Another report stated that a 13-year-old girl was contacted to tell them that vaping was “endemic at her school.” “Kids continue to sell vapes in the locker rooms,” according to the investigation. “They and their friend are the only two in the class who do not vape… they want encouragement for not vaping.”
One mother phoned the agency via its webchat since she was worried that after confiscating vapes from her kids, they started experiencing “arm pains, chest aches, and withdrawals.” One mother referred to her 17-year-old as “extremely hooked” and suffering from a persistent cough.
Between 1 January and 30 September 2022, 93 of 1,465 (representing 6 percent) first-time clients to the Victorian Quitline program indicated a desire to give up vaping.
“We just started collecting these statistics in January,” White explained.
“Whereas 10 people each month may not seem much, it’s noteworthy since there has been no advertisement or publicity in Victoria to market Quitline to assist individuals to stop vaping.” This indicates that people are constantly seeking assistance.
“When you smoke a cigarette, you take 10 or 15 puffs before stopping and throwing it away.” You can glance at the packet and remark, “I only have 10 left.” However, with vapes, you can get up to 2,400 puffs for each pen. That translates to 240 cigarettes a year, and there’s no natural way to quit it. Individuals are now seated there with this gadget in their hands, smoking incessantly. ”
The Australian National University Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health released the most complete analysis of vaping risks ever in April, finding definitive evidence that vapes led to poisoning, accidents, blisters, and acute toxicity from inhalation, such as seizures. According to the analysis, vaping can potentially result in addiction.
According to the Australian Council on Smoking and Health, governments should prohibit the sale and advertising of electronic cigarettes to minors. Its CEO, Maurice Swanson, stated that “e-cigarettes are swamping classrooms across Australia.”
“Depending entirely on parent and child education initiatives is a losing strategy,” he stated.
Following eight years as director of Quit Victoria, White will step down in October. “I really thought I might be the last ever director of Quit,” she commented at the time of her appointment.
“As a scientist, I had done all of the reading and studying, and I figured that with the way tobacco trends were going, if we got a few important pieces of tobacco legislation passed, I might be the last director.” With tremendous investment from the government, experts, and non-governmental organizations, we may be able to eliminate tobacco as the major cause of preventable fatalities and sickness. We could go on and examine other issues that are keeping us in the hospital unnecessarily. But now, electronic cigarettes are expected to keep this position going for an extremely long period, which is quite frustrating.
“I recently had lunch with the Quitline team, and one of the staff members who has been working on the Quitline for almost 15 years was practically in tears as she told me about some of the calls she has gotten about vaping.” “How are we allowing this to happen again?” she wondered.
“In some respects, I feel like I’m fleeing the battleground in the thick of the conflict.”
