Written by: Urja Parhi
Few people can say they have not at least been offered a vape in their lifetime, especially if they are a university student. Maybe you have seen the occasional student roaming campus, phone in hand and vape in the other. However, how many people actually vape regularly and how is this popularity perceived by the ANU community?
A new study from ANU has revealed that the popularity of vaping is overestimated by young Australians. Whilst it is safe to say that vaping has become increasingly normalised over the years since its initial surge in popularity, it may be the case that Australians have accepted it as a social norm across many contexts.
The lead author of the study, ANU PhD student Amelia Yazidjoglou, investigated how the popularity and normalisation of vaping influence the act itself. The study also noted the importance of understanding social norms and behaviours amongst young people in order to create effective health campaigns.
Observer asked students around the ANU campus to see what people’s opinions are on vaping and if this aligns with new research.
Many students call themselves “social vapers” and do not classify themselves as regular vapers despite owning vapes themselves. When asked if they intended to quit, the majority said they were “not too fussed about quitting” since they do not consider themselves “addicted to nicotine”.
However, some vapers said they “can’t get through the day without a couple of hits at least” and can always be counted on to have a vape on them at any given point in time.
The group of students interviewed had a higher percentage of people who were interested in quitting, with some even admitting to trying to quit in the past and experiencing setbacks or failure.
“I’ve tried quitting so many times but I always end up coming back to it.”
What may be stopping people from quitting is the overestimated popularity, as outlined in ANU’s new study. Vaping is becoming increasingly normalised which is part of the reason students are finding it difficult to quit, or do not have an interest in quitting.
When asked about how popular they think vaping is at ANU, one student stated that they think “almost everyone vapes at ANU” and that they “don’t think the popularity of vaping is overestimated at all”.
However, another student believed that “the popularity of vaping in our age group has gone down a lot and is now more centred around high school aged individuals.”
A few students suggested that Canberra and ANU are sheltered from concentrated vape culture as “students that go to a prestigious university are probably less likely to vape than people who do not do an academically rigorous degree”.
People also noted that outside of campus, many high school students and older hospitality workers can be seen vaping more regularly than students on the ANU campus.
One student suggested that the popularity of vaping is also “dependent on the social circle” of an individual, which is consistent with the opinions of vapers compared to non-vapers.
ANU’s smoke free policy may also be the reason that fewer people are spotted vaping on campus, however, not all students are compliant with this policy.
Vaping and smoking are banned in on-campus accommodation, although multiple students suggested that on-campus students would have higher percentages of people vaping than off-campus students due to the “more free and independent environment fostered by college lifestyle”. Students who live on campus are also “more likely to be surrounded by fellow vapers”. This statement was supported by the fact that most people who admitted to vaping regularly to Observer also lived on campus.
Opinions on the popularity of vaping seem to vary drastically depending on environment and context. However, students who regularly vape disagree that the popularity of it is overestimated and students who do not vape agree that it is less popular in reality than people make it out to be.
However, both groups agree that vaping has become increasingly normalised which not only encourages more young Australians to vape, but also provides obstacles for those wanting to quit.
As more research on both the health effects of vaping, and how the social norms regarding vaping are changing, student opinions on vaping will most likely continue to evolve.
Graphics by: Annisa Zatalini
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