On August 29, a study conducted by the University of Sydney in Australia revealed that the e-cigarette usage rate among teenagers in rural areas of Australia is now on par with that in urban areas. According to a recent publication in the Australian Medical Journal, more than a quarter of young people between the ages of 14 and 17 have tried e-cigarettes, with one in ten reporting use within the last 30 days.
A recent survey revealed that 20% of respondents had used e-cigarettes in the past year, with this proportion remaining consistent between rural and urban areas.
The study, led by Dr. Lauren Gardner from the Matilda Centre for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Research at the University of Sydney, has raised concerns on various levels, according to her.
Dr. Gardner stated:
We found that the average age of first-time users is only 14 years old.
Researchers conducted a survey of 4,200 students across 70 schools in New South Wales, Queensland, and Western Australia to investigate the prevalence of e-cigarette use among Australian teenagers. The findings from the report indicate that the use of e-cigarettes among students in rural areas is comparable to that of their urban counterparts.
Professor Megan Passey, an expert in rural health at an Australian university, expressed no surprise at the lack of discrepancy between urban and rural areas in this research, although she was not directly involved in the study.
Professor Percy explains that
The high usage rates of e-cigarettes in rural and remote areas do not come as a surprise, but they are indeed concerning. We must urgently address this issue of e-cigarette usage.
Dr. Gardner concurs with this viewpoint, noting that access is more limited in rural areas, thus leading to higher rates of traditional cigarette usage.
She stated:
The study typically focuses on young people in large cities, but we need to ensure that young people in rural and remote areas are also adequately represented.
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