South African teens face a growing vaping problem as laws fail to limit who can buy these products. A major study from Cape Town and Utrecht universities surveyed 25,149 students across eight provinces last year. They found that almost 17 percent of students currently vape, with numbers rising from 8 percent in grade 8 to nearly 30 percent in grade 12. Almost half of teen vapers use their device within an hour of waking up, showing strong addiction signs. About 12 percent said they cannot make it through school without vaping.
Most students reported using products with nicotine, and 25 percent felt anxious when unable to vape. The study created a special scoring system that showed 60 percent of teen vapers have high dependence levels. Researchers called this addiction rate unprecedented compared to regular cigarettes. Sweet flavors like gummy bears and bubble gum target young people despite health risks to developing brains and lungs. Nicotine harms the brain parts controlling thinking and decision making, leading to possible future problems.
The tobacco control bill would ban marketing and selling vapes to minors, but it remains unpassed. Vapes remain easy to order through delivery apps with no age checks. Health experts want faster action to protect children from lifelong addiction. Teachers often confiscate these products from students. The vaping industry group claims it opposes selling to minors, but many sellers ignore these rules.
Most students reported using products with nicotine, and 25 percent felt anxious when unable to vape. The study created a special scoring system that showed 60 percent of teen vapers have high dependence levels. Researchers called this addiction rate unprecedented compared to regular cigarettes. Sweet flavors like gummy bears and bubble gum target young people despite health risks to developing brains and lungs. Nicotine harms the brain parts controlling thinking and decision making, leading to possible future problems.
The tobacco control bill would ban marketing and selling vapes to minors, but it remains unpassed. Vapes remain easy to order through delivery apps with no age checks. Health experts want faster action to protect children from lifelong addiction. Teachers often confiscate these products from students. The vaping industry group claims it opposes selling to minors, but many sellers ignore these rules.
