[Image: FMT]
These days, it’s not shocking to spot South African schoolkids—some still rocking their uniforms—sneaking a puff from a vape.
What was once marketed as a smoking cessation tool for adults has morphed into a must-have accessory for teens, fueling concerns about nicotine addiction and long-term health risks.
A recent study has peeled back the curtain on just how deep vaping has sunk its claws into high school learners—and the findings are enough to make any parent sweat.
Research officers Sam Filby from the Research Unit on the Economics of Excisable Products and Richard van Zyl Smit, a Consultant Pulmonologist and Associate Professor—both from the University of Cape Town—dug into the vaping habits of South African students, per IOL. Their study, published in The Conversation, surveyed 25,000 high school learners from 52 schools across eight of South Africa’s nine provinces.
Here’s what they found:
- A whopping 16.8% of high school students use e-cigarettes.
- Vaping isn’t just for the wealthy—kids from all income levels are getting in on it.
The researchers focused on schools in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Durban, categorising them into three fee brackets:
- Lower-fee schools (R20,000–R40,000 per year) – 17% of surveyed students
- Medium-fee schools (R40,000–R90,000 per year) – 64%
- High-fee schools (Over R90,000 per year) – 19%
The school types also varied:
- 31% of students were in co-ed schools
- 41% attended all-boys’ schools
- 29% attended all-girls schools
Students were quizzed on their substance use over the past 30 days, covering e-cigarettes, tobacco, cannabis, and hookah pipes. The results?
- 16.8% of high schoolers vaped—a staggering contrast to the 2% who smoked tobacco and 5% who used cannabis.
- Vape use skyrocketed with age: for Grade 8, 9% reported vaping. Grade 12, 29.5% vaped, with some schools hitting a jaw-dropping 46% usage rate.
- Among those who vaped, 38% did so daily, while over half vaped four or more days per week. 88% used nicotine-containing vapes, and 47% needed a hit within an hour of waking up—a clear sign of addiction.
- The researchers estimate that up to 61% of teen vapers could be seriously hooked on nicotine.
When asked why they started vaping, more than half of the students pointed to social pressures, including peer influence and the desire to fit in. Beyond that:
- 20% vaped to cope with stress and anxiety
- 16.2% started out of curiosity
As for why they keep vaping:
- 28.4% said it helped with anxiety, depression, or stress
- 14.9% straight-up admitted they were addicted
One 17-year-old student put it bluntly: “It’s an addiction—no matter what I try, I can’t stop.” Others described it as a habit they couldn’t shake, even if they didn’t recognize it as an addiction.
Notably, 46% of students didn’t cite addiction as their reason for continuing to vape—despite showing all the classic signs of dependency.
The study makes one thing painfully clear: teen vaping is spiraling out of control. With so many students showing signs of nicotine dependence, experts warn that this could have serious long-term effects on adolescent health.
Schools, parents, and policymakers are now scrambling to contain this growing epidemic before it snowballs into an even bigger public health crisis. The question is—will they act fast enough?
[Source: IOL]
