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Published: 23 June 2025

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Teen vaping is on the rise. Around the world, 16.8% of young people have already tried e-cigarettes, often starting as early as 14 years old. The risks? Nicotine addiction, lung damage, harmful chemicals, and even mental health concerns. Schools are on the frontline to tackle this issue, and now, a new programme called ‘Our Futures Vaping’ is aiming to revolutionise teen vaping prevention in schools.

Why Teen Vaping Prevention is Essential: Reports indicate that one in four teenagers in Australia has experimented with vaping. With the average age of initiation being just 14, the potential harm cannot be ignored. The effects of vaping include:

• Lung injuries caused by chemical exposure
• Higher risk of transitioning to smoking cigarettes
• Possible long-term mental health difficulties

Despite regulatory reforms aiming to restrict vaping to medicinal use, illegal access remains widespread. To address this challenge, schools need prevention tools that are credible, age-appropriate, and accessible.

A New Approach to Teen Vaping Prevention with Digital Lessons: A team of researchers has co-designed an innovative school-based programme called ‘Our Futures Vaping’. This cutting-edge project takes the fight against teen vaping to the classroom, with an engaging digital platform tailored to Year 7 and 8 students. It’s more than just a teaching tool; it’s a way to empower students with knowledge, critical thinking skills, and the confidence to say no to vaping.

Co-designed with Students and Teachers: The secret to ‘Our Futures Vaping’ lies in its unique development process. Built collaboratively with 34 teenagers, alongside input from teachers, the programme reflects real-life experiences of students. Every storyline and character was shaped by students to mirror current social pressures and attitudes, ensuring the content feels authentic.

Teachers, with an average of 17 years of classroom experience, also played an integral role. They helped fine-tune the lessons to align with educational standards while addressing challenges like class time limitations and technology access.

What Makes ‘Our Futures Vaping’ Stand Out?: The programme doesn’t just tell students to avoid vaping. Instead, it immerses them in interactive digital lessons designed to engage and educate:

• Cartoon Narratives with Real-Life Scenarios

Students learn the risks of vaping through relatable storylines.

• Interactive Quizzes and Challenges

These enhance understanding and boost participation.

• Tasting Success with Peer-Led Storytelling

Characters in the lessons show the importance of resisting peer pressure.

Each session lasts around 40 minutes, blending online resources with optional print materials for flexibility. Teachers don’t require any training to use it, and everything is easily accessible through a dedicated online dashboard.

Feedback Shaping the Future: During user testing with 37 students and 13 teachers, the programme received overwhelmingly positive reactions. Here’s what stood out:

• Students rated the lessons highly, saying they were informative, realistic, and engaging.
• Teachers valued its curriculum alignment and flexible format.
• Suggestions from students led to practical improvements, including more diversity in characters, relatable struggles in quitting vaping, and a better balance between text and visuals.

These revisions helped create a well-rounded final version of ‘Our Futures Vaping’, ensuring it resonates with both teens and educators.

The Study’s Key Findings: The rigorous testing process has proven that this new programme is not only functional but impactful. Here’s what makes ‘Our Futures Vaping’ a strong contender in the fight against teen vaping:

• Students displayed improved understanding of vaping risks.
• The interactive content kept students engaged and attentive.
• Teachers reported higher levels of participation compared to traditional lessons on health education.

Why Digital Innovation Matters: The beauty of digital lessons lies in their scalability. Unlike one-off lectures or assemblies, ‘Our Futures Vaping’ provides consistent, evidence-based education across classrooms. It also ensures that all students, regardless of their prior exposure to vaping education, benefit from the same high-quality resources.

By incorporating peer-led storytelling and social influence models, the programme boosts its effectiveness in shaping positive behaviours. It’s tailored for the adolescent mindset, bridging the gap between traditional health education and the digital world teens live in.

Be Part of the Solution: The rise in teen vaping can feel overwhelming, but tools like ‘Our Futures Vaping’ offer a glimmer of hope for educators and parents. Early prevention and education can equip young people with the ability to make smarter, healthier choices.

Schools now have the opportunity to implement a programme that not only educates but engages students in a way that sticks with them. By prioritising Teen Vaping Prevention in Schools, we can help shift the narrative and empower the next generation to say no to vaping.

Are you ready to take steps in making a difference? Share this information with schools and educators in your network, and help spread the word about this life-changing initiative. (Source: WRD News)

Also see Vaping Crisis Resource Sheet and Not Even Once – Clearing the Air

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Published: 28 May 2025

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In Australia, the regulatory landscape around Australian E-cigarette Prescription has undergone substantial changes in recent years. For those who use nicotine e-cigarettes, obtaining them through prescribed legal pathways remains a crucial yet challenging process. This becomes even more complex when considering specific populations, such as individuals who regularly use illicit drugs.

This article explores crucial data from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) and the Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS). These findings provide valuable insight into e-cigarette prescription use and access between 2022 and 2024, with a focus on the unique Australian regulatory context.

Understanding Australia’s Prescription-based E-cigarette Model

The Australian E-cigarette Prescription system is one of the most regulated globally. Since October 1, 2021, Australians have been required to obtain a prescription to access nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. This regulation was introduced to restrict recreational use and ensure that e-cigarettes are used primarily for smoking cessation. Legally, these products can only be acquired from Australian pharmacies with a valid prescription.

However, the 2024 introduction of a “pharmacy-only” model marked a major change. Under this approach:

• E-cigarettes with nicotine concentrations ≤20 mg/mL no longer require a prescription.
• Sales remain restricted to pharmacies.
• Usage must still align with smoking cessation or managing nicotine dependence.

While these adjustments are aimed at striking a balance between public health objectives and accessibility, the data reveals gaps in how well these regulations are understood and engaged with.

Insights from EDRS and IDRS Participants

Study Overview

The research drew on data from two national drug monitoring programs:

1. EDRS (Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System): Focuses on individuals who use ecstasy and related stimulants.
2. IDRS (Illicit Drug Reporting System): Examines the behaviours of those who inject illicit drugs.

Data collected in 2024 included responses from:

• 740 EDRS participants
• 884 IDRS participants

Participants detailed their e-cigarette use, access pathways, and difficulties engaging with the prescription model.

Key Findings:

Low Uptake of Prescribed E-cigarettes

Engagement with prescribed e-cigarettes was extremely low:

• Only 1% of participants in both systems reported using prescribed e-cigarettes within six months before their 2024 interviews.
• This rate has remained consistently low since data monitoring began in 2022.

Usage Patterns Among Prescribed Users

For those who accessed prescribed e-cigarettes:

• EDRS Users: 82% reported using nicotine-containing products. Among these, the majority were daily users, with a median consumption of 180 days over six months. However, 55% concurrently used non-prescribed e-cigarettes.
• IDRS Users: Every prescribed user (100%) also reported concurrent use of traditional tobacco products.

Access Methods for Prescribed Users

The research highlighted where and how participants obtained their prescribed nicotine e-cigarettes:

• 90% of prescribed users sourced their prescriptions from Australian prescribers.
• 82% purchased the products from Australian online pharmacies.

Barriers to Obtaining Prescribed E-cigarettes

Despite a regulated framework providing legal access, most participants did not engage with the prescription model.

Reported Difficulties

Only 1% of respondents encountered difficulty in accessing prescribed e-cigarettes. However, the overwhelming majority indicated they had no intention of seeking a prescription:

• 90% (EDRS participants) did not attempt to obtain one.
• 94% (IDRS participants) also refrained from pursuing prescriptions.

Reasons for Avoiding Prescriptions

Participants shared their reasons for not pursuing legal access:

• Among EDRS participants:
  • 32% felt prescriptions were unnecessary as they could access e-cigarettes without one.
  • 27% stated they did not use e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
  • 18% were unaware that prescriptions were required.
• Among IDRS participants:
  • 29% noted that they were not using e-cigarettes to quit smoking.
  • 26% lacked awareness of the regulatory requirement.
  • 25% claimed they could obtain e-cigarettes easily without a prescription.

Regulatory Knowledge Gaps: These findings underscore significant gaps in user awareness regarding Australia’s e-cigarette regulations. Limited knowledge of prescription requirements, coupled with the widespread availability of non-prescribed products, contributes to low engagement with legal access pathways.

Implications for the Future of E-cigarette Access in Australia

The data raises compelling questions about whether Australia’s strict regulatory approach is achieving its intended goals. Key considerations include:

Limited Engagement with Legal Pathways

The persistently low rates of prescription use suggest limited adoption of the prescribed model by individuals who regularly use illicit drugs. These findings indicate broader challenges in encouraging populations to engage with regulated systems.

Regulatory Awareness and Education

The high proportion of participants who were unaware of prescription requirements highlights the need for stronger public education campaigns. Informing Australians about regulatory changes could help bridge this gap, ensuring compliance and improved access to legal options.

Addressing Non-Cessation Use

The data reveals that many individuals use e-cigarettes recreationally rather than for smoking cessation. Given that all legal frameworks mandate cessation as a requirement, this disconnect warrants attention.

Ongoing Monitoring

Continued research is essential to assess the effectiveness of the pharmacy-only model introduced in 2024. Future studies should evaluate whether this approach successfully curbs illicit use, supports smoking cessation, and prevents misuse among non-smokers. (Source: WRD News)

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Published: 20 May 2025

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Psychedelics are gaining popularity, often hailed in headlines as powerful tools for improving mental health. However, a recent Canadian study sheds light on a troubling association between bad psychedelic trips and an increased risk of early death. According to research published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, individuals who experience severe reactions to hallucinogenic drugs are at a 2.6 times higher risk of dying within five years.

Dr Daniel Myran, the study’s lead author and a public health expert at the University of Ottawa, shared his concerns about the growing narrative around psychedelics. While psychedelics in controlled clinical trials show promise, the realities of uncontrolled use in everyday settings paint a very different and concerning picture.

“There’s a lot of media buzz about how psychedelic-assisted therapy is really promising in clinical trials. However, we wondered how people who aren’t in those trials may react in real-world settings,” Myran explained.

Psychedelic Emergencies Rare but Concerning

The study analysed medical data captured through Canada’s universal health system to assess how often severe psychedelic reactions led to emergency room visits. Only about 3% of users required hospitalisation. Still, the implications for this small group are alarming.

Those presenting in emergency care typically reported psychosis, disturbing hallucinations, panic attacks, or mental health crises. Tragically, suicide was identified as the most common cause of early death among these individuals, followed by unintentional drug poisoning, respiratory disease, and cancer.

Long-Term Impacts of Bad Psychedelic Reactions

Dr Charles Raison, a psychiatry professor and an expert in psychedelic studies at the University of Wisconsin, noted that adverse outcomes sometimes persist well beyond the initial episode.

“Maybe one in 20 people report having ongoing difficulties they ascribe to the psychedelic experience. A year later, they say, ‘I had an experience so distressing it messed up my ability to function, alienated me from my family, or gave me PTSD,’” Raison said.

The study further highlighted that even clinical trials, often considered the ‘gold standard’ for psychedelic research, have seen participants suffer adverse effects. For instance, in one study involving psilocybin, three out of 79 people in the high-dose group attempted suicide, further underscoring the risks.

The Risks of Psychedelics Outside Clinical Settings

One of the most significant differences between clinical trials and real-world use is supervision. Clinical trials rely on carefully controlled environments, employing measured doses, pure substances, and professional support from trained therapists. Participants with any history of mental health conditions that could trigger adverse reactions are screened out from the start.

Meanwhile, recreational use presents a host of variables. Hallucinogens purchased off the street can contain impurities or unknown substances, making their potency and effects unpredictable. The lack of professional guidance during a ‘bad trip’ can exacerbate already dire situations.

“You’re in a controlled environment with help standing by [in trials],” Dr Myran explained. “That is very different from the experience for people outside of these trials.”

The Rising Popularity of Psychedelics

Despite the risks, the global interest in psychedelics continues to surge. According to a 2024 RAND Corporation report, 31.5 million Americans have tried psilocybin or LSD in their lifetime, with usage highest among young adults aged 20 to 24. Similarly, in Canada, 6% of adults used psychedelics in 2023, suggesting a growing trend, particularly among younger generations.

Microdosing, where users take small amounts of psychedelics without experiencing significant hallucinations, has especially gained traction. However, experts urge caution, emphasising that the broader implications and safety concerns associated with widespread use remain unclear.

Potential Life-Threatening Consequences

Researchers have raised concerns about the growing narrative of psychedelics as a “miracle cure” for mental health issues. While positive media coverage often overlooks the risks, professionals like Dr Myran stress the importance of nuanced discussions.

“I worry that people read these positive headlines and think, ‘Oh, I should start taking these; it’ll be excellent for my mental health,’” Myran said. “We actually don’t have particularly good evidence for that.”

The study concludes that while the majority of users may not face emergencies, those who do can suffer severe consequences, impacting both their immediate and long-term wellbeing. (Source: WRD News)

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Published: 14 May 2025

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Cannabis vaping is making headlines worldwide, often promoted as a “safer” alternative to smoking. Meanwhile, Drug Trends data from Australia reveal that non-prescribed cannabis use remains high among people who regularly use drugs. But are wider permission models and positive propaganda about cannabis leading to greater engagement, especially among those most at risk? This article dives into Australian data from the Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS) and Illicit Drugs Reporting System (IDRS), exploring what’s really happening with cannabis products, vaping, and why honest health education is more critical than ever.

Cannabis Vaping and Drug Trends in Australia (2014–2024): What the Data Tells Us

Cannabis vaping, once an afterthought, now claims a growing share of the global market. Many believe vaping to be less harmful, with marketers highlighting vaping’s lack of smoke and alleged respiratory benefits. However, recent Drug Trends research in Australia challenges some of these assumptions and uncovers troubling patterns.

The Rise of Electronic Vaping Products

Electronic vaping products started as oversized gadgets in the late 1990s. Initially intended to vaporise dried cannabis herb, they eventually shrank, morphing into today’s sleek e-cigarettes. While vaping nicotine products has become mainstream, cannabis vaping is following close behind, spurred in part by changes to medicinal and recreational cannabis laws overseas.

A North American review found a seven-fold increase in monthly cannabis vaping among adolescents, with notable shifts from dried herb to potent cannabis oils. However, the situation in Australia is different, shaped by stricter regulations and unique market conditions.

Drug Trends in Non-Prescribed Cannabis Use

Australia’s EDRS and IDRS surveys collect real-world data on non-prescribed cannabis and cannabinoid-related products. Between 2014 and 2024, most participants in both systems reported using cannabis recently, with rates as high as 90% in the EDRS and 74% in the IDRS.

Hydroponic and Bush Cannabis Still Dominate

• Hydroponic cannabis was the most popular, with usage rates ranging from 63%–83% among EDRS respondents, and a remarkable 88%–94% for IDRS participants.
• Bush cannabis also stayed common, with 51%–77% (EDRS) and 37%–54% (IDRS) reporting use.
• Other cannabis products, such as THC extracts and commercially-prepared edibles, have appeared in recent years, showing increased product diversity—but are far less popular than traditional forms.

Cannabis Vaping Emerges, But Smoking Prevails

Despite media attention around cannabis vaping, the majority of Australians captured in these studies still smoke cannabis. From 2014 to 2024:

• Smoking remained the dominant route of administration (ROA) in both groups.
• Cannabis vaping (inhaling/vaporising) trended upward, but stayed a minority choice. Vaporising among EDRS participants increased from 12% to 25%, and from 2% to 9% for IDRS.

Notably, few users chose vaping as their only method. Most combined it with smoking, suggesting the rise in vaping hasn’t replaced traditional habits.

Concerns About Cannabis Vaping and Permission Models

The Problem with Changing Perceptions

There is growing concern that permission models and positive messaging around cannabis use (whether through legislation or social media) may downplay its risks. Vaping, in particular, is surrounded by claims of being a “safer” alternative to smoking. While it’s true that vaping doesn’t involve combustion and may expose users to fewer toxic chemicals, it’s not risk-free.

Key Issues Include:

• Potency extremes: Some vape oils and extracts reach THC concentrations of 70–90%, far higher than the average 10%–20% in cannabis herb. Highly potent products carry greater risks for dependence, anxiety, and psychosis.
• Unknown health risks: The long-term effects of inhaling cannabis vapour, especially from unregulated or home-made devices, are not fully understood.
• Discreet use and normalisation: Portability and subtlety make vaping easier to hide, particularly from parents and teachers. For some users, this can enable more frequent use or uptake at a younger age.
• Unhealthy dual use: Most vapers continue smoking, increasing overall exposure to both methods. (for complete research WRD News)