The use of E-Cigarettes (commonly referred to as ‘Vaping’) is on the rise among Australian adolescents. Those aged between 18-24 were especially vulnerable to the craze with a 2019 research study reporting that over 25% of that age bracket had used an e-cigarette. This statistical data is backed up by anecdotal evidence from schools whose teachers have begun locking bathrooms during break times to prevent students from vaping.

Experts believe this radical change in adolescent behaviour can be attributed to the way these products are positioned within the market. The liquid interior (commonly known as vape juice) comes in a variety of flavours designed to entice youth customers. Everything from candy such as skittles or bubble gum to popular children’s cereal flavours are available, often coming encased in packaging featuring cartoons. These editions are a clear indication that the behavioural uptake from these young adults is not coincidental but rather by design. A design that is strategic in its leverage of social media platforms like Tik Tok to ‘social proof’ the fad and utilising influencer marketing to cement vaping as part of popular culture among this age bracket.

So where is the angle here? Well, that’s where it becomes rather sinister. This marketing has been designed by the Tobacco industry whose customer base is either being aged out or dying from diseases their nicotine addiction has created. This nicotine addiction is what drives Australia’s 16 billion dollar tobacco industry

A survey conducted by the Australian National University (ANU) found that the combination of its highly addictive nature and its adverse effects on someone’s cardiovascular and neurological systems made Nicotine a particularly dangerous substance. Beyond this direct impact, the study found that this habit opened the door to tobacco cigarettes with adolescents who used e-cigarettes by age 14 being 5x more likely to become smokers. While it’s true that the E-Cigarettes ‘readily’ available to the youth are not supposed to contain nicotine, research showed that a substantial portion is mislabelled and does in fact contain the substance. This combined with the age group’s eagerness to get their hands on the ‘adult’ version means the risk of nicotine consumption is high.

Even though the ways in which E-Cigarettes are undermining Australia’s efforts to curb Tobacco usage are evident, we aren’t doing much about it at a legislative or regulatory level. The onus instead has fallen to professionals like teachers. One of the key challenges facing these teachers are facing is their need to rapidly understand which of these vape pens contain harmful substances like Nicotine or Cannabis. Historically that has often required police and analysis which potentially creates a scene out of something that could be handled quietly. However, thanks to SwabTek, that is no longer the case.

SwabTek’s easy to use kits provide a quick, safe, and discrete method for teachers to test vape pens and discover whether they contain traces of dangerous substances like Nicotine or Cannabis. These incredible paper strips eliminate the need for other testing solutions such as hazardous/carcinogenic liquid reagent dropper bottles, breakable glass ampoules and pressurised spray cans. The company’s mission is to put field test kits back in the hands of frontline professionals like teachers, allowing them to handle these situations efficiently, safely and quietly.

Contact us today for more information about SwabTek’s innovative range, we’d love to show you how it works!