This study compares adolescent smoking trends in Australia before and after the emergence of e-cigarettes in about 2010, to evaluate the potential impacts of adolescent vaping on smoking prevalence. It finds that Australia’s remarkable progress in reducing adolescent smoking has slowed since the emergence of vaping, underscoring the need for integrated tobacco and vaping control strategies.

Participants were aged 12–17 years and took part in the Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug Survey between 1999 and 2023.

Key findings

• From 2014 to 2022–2023, the prevalence of ever vaping among students increased 2.3-fold.
• From 1999 to 2022–2023, there were substantial declines in the prevalence of ever, past year, past month, past week and daily smoking among students, with reductions ranging between 74% and 89%.
• The rates of decline for these five measures of smoking slowed significantly from 2010 onwards, coinciding with the emergence of vaping.