Why Did I Start Vaping? Average Age? Youth Voice ages 13-19.
I asked 25 young people aged between 13 & 19 who vape why they started and what age they were? Since I established a judgment-free environment, I received some interesting and honest responses. Since several young people provided responses that were similar, I combined them and determined the average age at which they began
Full answers are displayed in the data visualisation here
INSIGHTS
The diversity of reasons from stress to boredom underscores the complex motivations behind vaping, indicating a blend of personal coping mechanisms and external social factors. This variety hints at needing multiple intervention approaches to address the problem effectively amongst those who vape.
The average age of first-time vapers is alarmingly low at just over 13, highlighting a significant vulnerability among youth, predominantly influenced by social factors. Factors such as stress and a lack of education prompt an early vaping habit from as young as 11, underlying critical areas for early intervention in education and mental health support.
It is clear young people struggle to quit once they have started so one intervention pathway would be to focus on young people before they start to vape
EARLY INTERVENTION ACTIONS
Start informal education workshops targeting ages under 11 with the aim to
1. Begin talking about vaping with young people early on in the hope they haven't tried vaping yet, Paying attention to their perspectives and concerns so you adapt to meet their needs and provide a better intervention. This will promote discussion where you can answer bespoke questions and listen to different perspectives
2. Share informative resources about the risks of vaping the chemicals used, and that counter common vaping myths. This will help young people know exactly what they would be inhaling into there body and the facts.
3. Discuss and spread awareness to young people of various different bad habits and addictions, how they happen and the negative effects they can have on mental and physical health. This will help young people understand what happens
and what addiction is
4. Discuss and share awareness of positive habits young people can do that are fun, good for mental health, socially encouraged and help support challenges and problems they may get once in secondary school. This will be a positive countermeasure to why young people start vaping
Full answers are displayed in the data visualisation here
INSIGHTS
The diversity of reasons from stress to boredom underscores the complex motivations behind vaping, indicating a blend of personal coping mechanisms and external social factors. This variety hints at needing multiple intervention approaches to address the problem effectively amongst those who vape.
The average age of first-time vapers is alarmingly low at just over 13, highlighting a significant vulnerability among youth, predominantly influenced by social factors. Factors such as stress and a lack of education prompt an early vaping habit from as young as 11, underlying critical areas for early intervention in education and mental health support.
It is clear young people struggle to quit once they have started so one intervention pathway would be to focus on young people before they start to vape
EARLY INTERVENTION ACTIONS
Start informal education workshops targeting ages under 11 with the aim to
1. Begin talking about vaping with young people early on in the hope they haven't tried vaping yet, Paying attention to their perspectives and concerns so you adapt to meet their needs and provide a better intervention. This will promote discussion where you can answer bespoke questions and listen to different perspectives
2. Share informative resources about the risks of vaping the chemicals used, and that counter common vaping myths. This will help young people know exactly what they would be inhaling into there body and the facts.
3. Discuss and spread awareness to young people of various different bad habits and addictions, how they happen and the negative effects they can have on mental and physical health. This will help young people understand what happens
and what addiction is
4. Discuss and share awareness of positive habits young people can do that are fun, good for mental health, socially encouraged and help support challenges and problems they may get once in secondary school. This will be a positive countermeasure to why young people start vaping
