Despite many experts agreeing that vaping is significantly less harmful than combustible tobacco, a wave of stricter laws worldwide has been prompted by new concerns regarding youth addiction and long-term respiratory health.
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Vaping is no longer just a cool alternative for people trying to quit smoking. Today, it has become a major public health and regulatory flashpoint.
While experts note it is less harmful than regular cigarettes, the reality for our youth is much darker.
New worries about young people getting hooked and the long-term damage to their lungs have led to a wave of stricter laws worldwide.
In South Africa, the situation is reaching a breaking point.
Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Utrecht University in the Netherlands are sounding the alarm, calling on the government to pass the Tobacco Products and Electronic Delivery Systems Control Bill.
They warn that without this law, we are headed for a national epidemic.
A recent landmark study, published in The Lancet’s eClinical Medicine, surveyed 25,000 pupils across 52 high schools. What they found was a nicotine addiction crisis hiding in plain sight.
“In South Africa, where tobacco control has made strides, the rapid rise in vaping among adolescents is a new public health challenge.
As a multidisciplinary team, whose work intersects on public health matters, we wanted to quantify the burden," said co-author Samantha Filby, who is based in the research unit on the Economics of Exercisable Products in UCT’s School of Economics.
"We were further driven by global alarm bells, like the World Health Organization’s 2023 warning about e-cigarette promotion targeting the youth, as well as local gaps in knowledge."
The data shows that vaping isn't just a phase but a daily habit for many.
17% of learners surveyed are current vapers.
38.3% of those students vape every single day.
88% use vapes that contain nicotine (the chemical that makes it addictive).
This isn't just about blowing smoke rings; it’s about physical addiction. The study found that:
47% of teen vapers reach for their device within an hour of waking up.
Nearly 12% can't even make it through a school day without a hit.
25% feel angry or anxious if they can't vape.
According to Filby, 60% of these teens show "high vape dependence".
"This underscores vaping as a significant addiction for a large portion of young users and highlights the urgent need to strengthen prevention efforts."
UCT professor Richard van Zyl-Smit, the lead author, says this is unlike anything they’ve seen before: "The extent of use and dependence on nicotine is something researchers had never encountered with traditional cigarettes in the past."
The biggest hurdle? Many kids (and parents) think vaping is harmless water vapour. It’s not.
“Addressing the current crisis is possible with the right interventions, and it all starts with debunking the dangerous myth that vaping is safe," says Filby.
Filby emphasised the need for basic education around the harms of vaping from primary school level, with clear messaging that vaping is addictive and not safe. For those already addicted, tailored psychosocial support is essential.
“What we need is regulation - to ban ads targeting youth and enforce age limits to reduce appeal and access,” she said.
"Vape products are so easily accessible because you can even order them on the Checkers Sixty60 or UberEats mobile apps. The restrictions on vape marketing, which the bill provides, can aid in debunking the myth that vaping is safe and assist with deglamourising vaping among our youth.”
The researchers stress that schools, parents and healthcare professionals must be engaged to tackle the crisis.
Parents and teachers need to look for signs of stress or peer pressure that lead to vaping, and doctors should start screening teens during check-ups to guide addicted teens toward recovery support.
"We want to ignite action, push lawmakers to regulate vaping, equip schools, parents and the public health community with knowledge that there is a need to intervene and shift public perception towards the reality that we do have a public health crisis in the making, and we need to address it,” said Filby.
The research makes it crystal clear: we are running out of time. South Africa has to act right now by passing new laws, teaching kids the truth about vapes and getting the whole community involved.