Youth vape use has soared in South Africa, with nearly 17% of high school students using vapes, 38.3% of whom use them daily. Researchers at the University of Cape Town are calling on governments to legislate to regulate vape products and protect young people from the nicotine addiction crisis.
Key points:
1. 17 percent of high school students in South Africa use vapes, 38.3% use daily, and 88% use nicotine-containing products.
2. A study by the University of Cape Town shows that young people are seriously addicted to vaping, calling for the adoption of control laws.
3. The researchers suggest starting with early education, implementing regulations to ban advertising aimed at teenagers and setting age limits.
University of Cape Town, South Africa: vape use among teens reaches 17%
As vape use among youth in South Africa reaches alarming new highs. Public health researchers at the University of Cape Town are calling on the government to quickly pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Act. The bill aims to regulate vape products and protect South African youth from the rapidly growing nicotine addiction crisis.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Cape Town in collaboration with Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Was published in the journal eClinical Medicine in The Lancet. The study surveyed 25,000 students at 52 fee-paying high schools in the country, and of those surveyed. Nearly 17% were current vape users, with 38.3% using them daily and more than 50% using them more than four days a week. 88% of current users report using products containing nicotine.
The study also examined signs of addiction. Showing that 47% of teen vape users used it within an hour of waking up, a behavior that is a significant indicator of dependence. Another 11.8% said they couldn’t get through the school day without vaping, and 24.9% admitted to feeling anxious or angry if they couldn’t use a vape for a long period.
Need for both legislation and education
“Tobacco control has made progress in South Africa. But the rapid growth of vape use among adolescents is a new public health challenge,” said study co-author Samantha Filby, a researcher at the University of Cape Town’s School of Economics.
To combat this crisis, researchers at the University of Cape Town suggest starting with early education.
- “Responding to the current crisis is possible, and the right interventions begin by debunking the dangerous myth that vapes are safe.”
Philby advocates comprehensive education on the dangers of vapes starting at the elementary school level. Along with tailored psychosocial support for people who are already addicted.
But Philby warns that education alone is not enough to solve the problem. “What we need are regulations – banning advertising aimed at teenagers and imposing age restrictions to reduce appeal and access”. She noted. This challenge is compounded by the accessibility of vaping products offered through popular delivery apps like Checkers Sixty60 and Uber Eats.
