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We’ve all seen the worrying amount of high schoolers waltzing by in a puff of smoke, smelling suspiciously like blueberries. While it’s uncommon to see a real-life cigarette these days, the uptick in vape usage is another kettle of fish. Or rather, a kettle of lemon mint druppeltjies.

As it turns out, the tweens hopping onto the trend with dizzying speed are usually stressed-out kids from high-income families in SA.

A recent survey conducted by the University of Cape Town Lung Institute has shed light on the concerning trend of South African high school pupils from high-income schools turning to vaping.

The survey, which involved 6,922 high school learners spanning from Grade 8 to Grade 12 across three provinces, unveiled a growing reliance on various substances to manage stress. Among these substances, vaping emerged as the most preferred method of smoking or using smoking substitutes, followed by tobacco, cannabis and hookah (hubbly-bubbly, for the OGs in the know).

According to UCT Consultant Pulmonologist Professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, stress is pervasive among high school pupils, but rather than seeking healthier ways to cope, many turn to sweet-smelling robotic smoking devices.

“I think all our high school learners are stressed about all sorts of things, and [vaping], unfortunately, seems to be where they go to … I think there is a generational issue here where we just have not equipped this group of high school learners to persist and deal with [life’s] complexities.”

The survey also revealed a disparity in vaping habits among different grades, with Grade 12 pupils being the most frequent vapers at 26.5%, followed by Grade 11 learners (17.4%), Grade 10s (13%), and Grade 9s (10.8%). Grade 8s exhibited the lowest rates of vaping, but the upward tick in users per grade suggests that they may end up picking up the ill-advised habit.

Professor Van Zyl-Smit explained that vaping can quickly become addictive, primarily due to the temporary relief the ingredients provide. That, and peer pressure.

“We know from tobacco smoking that the nicotine is the issue. Nicotine results in a dopamine response, which is the so-called happy or pleasure hormone. When you smoke, dopamine goes up, and you feel better. It is a way of giving an immediate sense of calm through dopamine, like any other drug to help with anxiety or concatenation. It’s a very easy and convenient way to get that response.”

As a (sheepish) smoker myself, can confirm.

One hugely concerning aspect highlighted by the survey is the involvement of some parents in their children’s vaping habits, as many are under the impression that vaping is a safer alternative to cigarettes, drugs, or other substances. I mean, technically it’s better to vape than get hooked on tik, but that’s a disturbingly low bar to set for your kid.

Professor Van Zyl-Smit explained the catch-22 by explaining that:

“There certainly are a lot of parents who say ‘at least it’s not drugs, Here’s your vaping device.’ I’ve heard from various people [that parents also say] ’16th birthday, here’s your vaping pen'”

As research uncovers these kinds of concerns, the regulation of the vaping industry in South Africa has become a contentious issue.

There is an urgent need for stricter regulations and a comprehensive education campaign to combat the pervasive marketing and promotion of vaping by the industry, and researchers like Van Zyl-Smit are calling for ways to help alleviate these issues.

“The complete lack of regulation is a problem. Vapes are a free for all, you can buy them anywhere and anyone can buy them. There’s no restriction of access. We need to restrict it. It’s not going to prevent it, it’s going to reduce access. I think an enormous education campaign is needed. The problem is that you need to counteract social media, marketing, and all the promotion by the vaping industry that makes it look attractive.”

Yup, we’ve all seen the ‘cool kids’ blowing smoke rings and waterfalls, but at the end of the day, it’s not worth your only pair of lungs for a few seconds of tricks.

[source:news24]