So e-cigarettes are a battery operated device that involve heating of a e-liquid into an aerosol which is then inhaled into the lungs. So what we know is that e-cigarettes contain an array of different chemicals. Some of them, including nicotine and other flavourings. E-cigarettes are usually made up of three major components. And the first one is the battery, which heats up the liquid, the second being the atomizer which turns that heated liquid into an aerosol. And then the cartridge, which contains the e-liquid. The e-liquid can either be pre-filled in the cartridge or it can be refillable. So they can look like anything from a USB, to a texta, to a pen. They can either be really quite discreet or they can be very brightly coloured and obvious to make them more attractive. Vaping and smoking are different in the sense that vaping involves the heating of a liquid into an aerosol, which is then inhaled into the lungs. And smoking is the burning of tobacco and other chemicals which is then inhaled into the lungs. So e-cigarettes contain anything to around 200 chemicals one of which is nicotine, which we know is very, very addictive. We also know that there is propylene glycol in it, which is a synthetic gooey substance that makes up the basis of the flavourings. And we also know that there is acetate in it, which is the main chemical in nail polish remover, which is very concerning.

Well, at this point we really can't say whether vapes are safer than cigarettes. We've got a long history of the harms caused by tobacco and we've got some new illnesses being caused by vapes. Our biggest concern at the moment though is the nicotine addiction that young people are getting from vapes, and that's very concerning because nicotine's a very addictive substance. The harms caused by vaping or e-cigarettes particularly are the nicotine addiction. They also have chemicals in them that are cancer causing. One of those particularly are for the aerosols that enable the substances to get into the lungs and those aerosols can cause upper respiratory infections. So really, the only thing that's supposed to go into your lungs is fresh air. E-cigarettes have a problem where they actually cause anxiety. So we're particularly concerned about the mental health of young people who are using e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes that are fruit or lolly flavoured can still be harmful to health. Flavourings are supposed to go in your mouth to make food taste good. They're not supposed to go into your lungs. So when you are having an e-cigarette that's got fruit flavours or lolly flavours you're still inhaling some chemicals that aren't supposed to be in your lungs. The addictive nature of nicotine is very strong. We are particularly concerned about the effect of nicotine on teenagers, more so than adults. It affects their brain chemistry and they have a a greater desire to use a nicotine product than say, an adult.

So an e-cigarette user may experience some level of stress relief or relaxation at the time of use, but when we have a look at that person's stress levels over the rest of the day and in between vaping sessions, we actually see that they have much higher stress levels then that of a non-user. So there is currently not enough evidence to say that vaping is an effective way of quitting smoking. We do know that the approved nicotine replacement therapies that are available, such as patches, and lozenges, and inhalators are effective and they are safe. So the marketing of e-cigarettes is very much targeting young people in the sense that they're brightly coloured they're attractive, they have no adverse labelling they have very sweet flavours. They come in any kind of flavour from berry blast, peach ice, cheesecake, marshmallow, you name it they probably got it. And this is really harmful because the labelling actually sounds like lollies. So again, marketing to young people. So another thing that is an issue about that regulation of the marketing is the fact that you could have a very brightly pink coloured berry blast-flavoured vape that actually has more nicotine in it than a cigarette that came from a packet with a very clear labelling saying that smoking causes cancer.

Teachers and school staff are in a terrific place to support students who are addicted to vapes or who are vaping. It's really important for teachers and school staff to be non-judgmental if a student comes and talks to them about getting off their vapes. One of the first steps is to actually talk to the children and say, what strategies do you think will work for you? Get a plan. Because any addiction is not easy to break.

My advice to young people is to avoid vaping at all costs. If you are someone who would like to stop vaping or avoid it I would highly recommend having a chat to a family member. If you're not comfortable doing that, that's absolutely fine. Have a chat to a teacher or a counsellor that you trust. If you're still looking for an alternative to satisfy the oral fixation that's associated with vaping, what you could try is chewing sugar free gum 'cause that's a much healthier option.

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There's actually 2 laws relating to e-cigarette products. One relates to the device, so everything you can see, and that includes the device itself, the liquid, the batteries, the coils. And there's certain laws around selling that, which means you need a licence and you can't advertise them and sell them to young people under 18. There's also a law relating to nicotine, which is the active chemical in the liquid usually or the device that actually gives you a rush, but it's also very, it can be toxic and also poisonous. So therefore, there's laws around that whereby you have to go to a doctor in order to get a prescription to get nicotine. In relation to where you can and can't vape, there are smoking laws and vaping laws which are much the same in South Australia. So you can't vape or smoke in an indoor place if it's a public place or a workplace. And that applies to schools. Any indoor area must be both smoke free and vape free.

When it comes to the outdoor area of schools, you also can't vape or smoke and that's a policy from the Education Department. Well, the laws in relation to minors relate to the sale to a minor, so a retailer can't sell an e-cigarette to a minor. Likewise, a person can't sell or supply to another person who's a minor. So if you've got an older friend or family member who's selling or supplying to a person under 18, that is against the law. There are also laws in relation to nicotine which relate to this area, not only to minors, but everyone. So you can't possess nicotine, you can't have it on you in South Australia without a prescription. You also cannot sell or supply nicotine which includes vaping devices with nicotine in it. Unless you are a doctor or a pharmacist. The penalties associated with selling or supplying are up to $10,000 or two years imprisonment. If you have it on you, if you possess it, nicotine or a nicotine product, the fine can be up to $10,000, so it's quite significant.

When it comes to e-cigarettes and whether there's nicotine in it, often that's unclear 'cause the labelling won't say if there's nicotine in the product or not and that applies to the liquids as well. However, research indicates that most e-cigarettes or vapes have nicotine in it, so therefore, by having an e-cigarette or a vape in your possession or selling or supplying to someone else, you may be committing an offence for selling or possessing nicotine without knowing it. If you wanna know more about the legal aspects of vaping, you can have a look on the SA Health website which outlines the laws in this area.

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