Summary

A new study from our collaborative research team at the University of Auckland has just been published in the Journal of Primary Health Care, offering important insights into vaping and smoking among adolescents aged 14 and under. The analysis draws on de-identified YouthCHAT screening data — demonstrating how routine e-screening in primary care can support national understanding of emerging health trends.

🔗 Open-access full text: Vaping and smoking in adolescents 14 and under in Aotearoa New Zealand: cross-sectional study of e-screening data

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Key findings

• Among 3,462 YouthCHAT screens for adolescents ≤14 years, 22% had ever vaped and 12% had ever smoked.
• All current smokers had also vaped.
• Girls were more likely to vape, including those who had never smoked before.
• Māori and Pacific girls showed the highest rates of both ever-vaping and vaping-never-smoked.
• Two-thirds of those who had ever vaped reported feeling the need to cut down.
• Encouragingly, 1 in 5 young people who had vaped in the past 3 months wanted help.

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What this means for practice

These findings highlight the value of YouthCHAT as an early detection tool for emerging issues in primary care. They also reinforce the need for:

• Continued vigilance around vaping uptake among very young adolescents.
• Strong controls on e-cigarette marketing, particularly as most users in this age group are not vaping to quit smoking.
• Ensuring pathways to appropriate support for those who want help cutting down or stopping.

We’re grateful to the University of Auckland research team — FanZhen Zhou, Prof. James Warren, and Prof. Felicity Goodyear-Smith — for leading this important work. Their analysis helps inform national discussions on youth vaping and supports our shared goal of improving health outcomes for young people.