How your child’s tantrums could be a sign of a serious mental health problem
Does your child sleep?
Chances are unless you catch them while they’re doing it, it might be kept from you.
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But a new study has shed some light on what might lead young people to try e-cigs in the first place.
The scientists looked at data from more than 5,000 Year 7 and 8 children (aged 12 to 14) from 40 schools in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia in 2023.
About 8.3 percent of young people report having used electronic cigarettes before, according to research in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry.
Vaping was 74 percent higher for students who reported moderate depression, and 64 percent for those who reported high depression.
It was also twice as common in students reporting poor health compared to good health.
Children with depression were also more likely to sweat.
Teens who reported severe symptoms were more than twice as likely to have tried vapes, compared to those without a history of depression, research shows.
Anxiety symptoms did not show a relationship.
Researchers from the OurFutures Vaping Trial say mental illness and vaping are on the rise among young people.
Dr Lauren Gardner, from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Institute, said: “Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between mental health and vaping, however these findings highlight the urgent need for prevention and early intervention strategies, supported by evidence, to support short- and long-term health and well-being.”
The Matilda Institute previously found the average age at which an Australian teenager starts having sex is 14.
Associate Professor Dr Emily Stockings said: “In the short term, nicotine can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression, and young people may want to get vapes as a way to to deal with the situation.
Regardless of whether mental illness affects smoking or not, it is clear that if we want to prevent the onset of vaping, we need to deal with mental health at the same time.
In the UK, almost one in five children aged 11 to 17 have tried vaping by 2024.
This figure has remained stable since 2023 but has risen to 13.9 percent in 2020.
The most common reason for vaping was ‘Just trying’ (35 per cent), while 7.3 per cent said ‘I think it helps with depression or my mental health’, according to The ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey.
When it comes to adults, one in 10 are now long-term vapers – more than six months – according to University College London research.
Health experts say vaping is safer than smoking and is an important way for addicts to quit, but it can be dangerous for non-smokers.
Smoking versus vaping
VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking.
Although vaping is less dangerous than smoking, this practice is not completely harmless and comes with its own risks.
The NHS recommends only for adults who smoke, to support smoking cessation.
GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the difference between smoking and smoking – and whether one is better than the other – is “complex”.
In short, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than not smoking at all.
Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins – and at lower levels – than smoking cigarettes.
Switching to vaping significantly reduces exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease and cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.
These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research still links vaping to a higher risk of lung failure and death.
Health hazards of cigarettes
- Smokers are more likely to have heart disease, stroke and lung cancer than non-smokers
- People who smoke are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
- Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and small air sacs
- Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body
- It affects overall health, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility
The health risks of smoking
- They can cause side effects such as sore throat, headache, coughing and feeling sick
- They can lead to tooth decay
- They can damage heart health
- They can cause lung disease
- They can slow brain development
Read more about how vaping can affect your health here.
Sources: NHS, CDC
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