Australia’s NSW Finds Lower Vaping Rates Among Teenagers Aged 14 to 17

Key Takeaways

• The Generation Vape project found that the share of NSW teenagers aged 14 to 17 who had tried vaping fell from 29.6% in April 2024 to 20.1% in October 2025.
• The change followed new NSW laws introduced in December 2024 banning retail vape sales.
• Under the new rules, vaping products can only be dispensed from a pharmacy for smoking cessation and nicotine dependence management.
• The proportion of respondents who had vaped 100 or more times dropped from 6.4% to 2.6%.
• More than 10,000 young people have sought support to quit vaping through Cancer Institute NSW’s Pave app since its launch in February 2025.

2Firsts, March 17, 2026

According to the original report, a new report from Cancer Council’s Generation Vape research project shows that fewer teenagers have taken up vaping since the NSW Government introduced tough vaping goods laws.

The latest findings show that the number of NSW teens surveyed in the Generation Vape project who had tried vaping declined from 29.6% in April 2024 to 20.1% in October 2025.

The report presented findings from NSW teens aged 14 to 17 on changes in vape use, access and perceptions between April 2024 and October 2025.

The decline followed the commencement of new laws introduced by the Minns Labor Government in December 2024, which banned vapes from being sold in retail settings across NSW. The laws also mean vaping products can only be dispensed from a pharmacy for smoking cessation and management of nicotine dependence.

NSW has some of the toughest penalties in the country for the sale and commercial possession of illicit tobacco, with further reforms introduced in July 2025 targeting the sale of illicit tobacco and illicit vaping goods. Under these laws, the maximum penalty for supplying illicit vaping goods is now AUD 1.54 million (approximately USD 1.0472 million, based on 1 AUD = 0.68 USD), and/or seven years’ imprisonment.

Other key NSW findings in the latest Generation Vape report include that 88.2% of respondents reported little experience with vapes, meaning only a few puffs, or no experience at all; the number of respondents who vaped 100 or more times dropped from 6.4% to 2.6%; teens were less likely to think vaping was common among their peers; and most teens agreed that vaping is unsafe and addictive.

NSW Health said it is taking action to protect the community, especially young people, from the harms of vaping. Preventing vaping uptake and supporting teenagers and young people to quit vaping remain key priorities for NSW Health.

Since its launch in February 2025, more than 10,000 young people have sought support to quit vaping through Cancer Institute NSW’s Pave app.

The report described the app as Australia’s first evidence-based vaping cessation app. It provides users with tips, motivation, tracking tools, distractions for cravings, as well as activities and information to help overcome common barriers to quitting vaping.

NSW Health also developed the award-winning “Every vape is a hit to your health” campaign, which uses advertisements to encourage young people to consider the proven health harms of vaping, including nicotine addiction, lung damage, breathlessness, nicotine poisoning and burns from exploding vapes.

The NSW Health Vaping Toolkit also provides evidence-based resources to support parents and carers, teachers and health professionals in starting conversations with young people about vaping, recognising nicotine dependence, understanding signs of withdrawal and helping young people with practical quitting advice.

The reforms, the Generation Vape survey results and the success of the Pave app all followed the NSW Government’s Vaping Roundtable held in November 2023. The roundtable heard first-hand accounts from students, teachers and principals, as well as evidence from health experts and researchers about vaping behaviour and its effects on young people.

The original report also said that young people seeking help and advice to quit vaping are encouraged to contact their GP, download Pave or call Quitline on 13 78 48.

Image source: NSW (New South Wales)