Australia's unique vaping reforms: first results from a repeated cross-sectional study in South Australia

E-cigarettes pose health risks and no established benefits to people who have never used tobacco. Australia introduced legislation in 2021, which was strengthened in 2024, to limit e-cigarette sales to pharmacists among other restrictions. This study explored the impact of these reforms.

Weighted data from serial cross-sectional annual population-representative surveys (Health Omnibus Survey (2014-2017) and Population Health Survey Module System (2018-2024)) of South Australians aged 15 years and older (n=32 737) were used to assess e-cigarette use and cessation attempts overall by tobacco use status and demographic characteristics.

The prevalence of current e-cigarette use was steady between 2014 (1.2%, 95% CI 0.7% to 1.8%) and 2020 (2.6%, 95% CI 1.7% to 3.5%), then doubled to 6.1% in 2023 (95% CI 4.6% to 7.7%) before declining in 2024 to 4.2% (95% CI 3.4% to 5.1%). Changes were most pronounced among those aged 15-29 years, where the prevalence of e-cigarette use and having never used tobacco rose 12-fold from 1.4% (95% CI 0 to 3.3%) in 2020 to 17.0% (95% CI 8.8% to 25.3%) in 2023, before declining to 5.5% (95% CI 3.3% to 7.7%) in 2024. Half of participants using e-cigarettes (49.3%) had ever attempted to quit vaping, though unprompted awareness of doctors or pharmacists as available sources of support was low (2.8%).

Early results indicate that Australia's strengthened vaping reforms correspond with reductions in e-cigarette prevalence in South Australia, driven mainly by declines among youth who have never used tobacco. Continued monitoring is needed to consolidate evidence of this public health gain alongside improved awareness of cessation support services.