Our recent study shows that vaping among teenagers is linked to childhood trauma. Here’s why quitting smoking can be harder

If you experience childhood trauma, you are more likely to apply substances such as alcohol, tobacco AND other medicines Later. But what does the evidence say about vaporizers?

Our new study was the first to examine the links between childhood trauma and vaping habits among Australian teenagers. Those who had a traumatic experience before age 12 were more likely to have tried vaping, vaped regularly, or intended to do so in the future.

Despite bans on the import and sale of vaporizers containing nicotine, labeling gaps meant they were still easily accessible. A study of 423 vaporizers confiscated from Modern South Wales retailers in 2022 found that 98.8% contained nicotine.

While quitting nicotine is a challenge for most people, our research suggests that juvenile people who have experienced trauma may face additional challenges and need tailored support.

Trauma and substance apply

For people who experience trauma early in life, the consequences can go far beyond the event itself. Trauma is a form psychological harm caused by experiences that pose a earnest threat to your life or the life of others. These may include emotional, physical and sexual abuse or exposure to natural disasters and earnest accidents.

Research links childhood trauma to negativity physical AND sanity results. This covers it higher rates substance apply and addiction.

The reasons for this are sophisticated and may involve a number of factors, including social and environmental influences. For example, juvenile people who have experienced trauma are more likely be exposed to the apply of psychoactive substances by people around them.

But trauma also affects brain development, which may impact whether we are more likely to apply substances.

Traumatic experiences can lead to greater ones impulsiveness AND risky behavior. Trauma can also disrupt the way you deal with stress, lift our response to future stressors.

Self-medicating is risky for the developing brain

This is more often experienced by people who experienced trauma in childhood difficulty identifying, understanding and expressing emotions (so-called alexithymia). This is why we often talk about substance apply as self-medication – a way to cope with emotional pain and stress.

However, self-medication is particularly problematic for juvenile people. A teenager’s brain is still developing, so it is more susceptible to the harmful effects of external factors nicotine, alcohol and other medications.

Newborn people become addicted to nicotine faster than adults – and stronger cravings may make it harder for them to quit.

We found a link between early trauma and teen vaping

A handful of studies I found consistent links between childhood trauma and vaping. But tests focused mainly on adults rather than asking teenagers about vape apply. It was only one study about trauma and vaping in Australia and involved adult women.

But we know there are juvenile people in Australia exposed to vaporizers early – and that the number of teenagers who vape is growing.

Our new study examined self-report surveys of 2,234 Year 7 and 8 students from 33 schools in Modern South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, collected as part of the study Health4Life study. The surveys assessed history of trauma at age 12 and vaping apply three years later.

We found that people who experienced a traumatic experience at age 12 were more likely to say at age 15 that they had tried vaping (64%), vaped regularly (63%), or intended to vape in the future (44%).

Challenges of quitting smoking

Our recent findings show an even younger group of Australians are at risk of vaping and nicotine addiction. Many people may already be addicted.

Nicotine is there highly addictive and quitting smoking often takes multiple attempts due to tough withdrawal symptoms. People often require a combination of behavioral support – such as counseling – and pharmacological support, which may include nicotine replacement therapy or therapeutic vaporizers.

Current guidelines for primary care physicians emphasize the lack of research on supporting teenagers in quitting smoking. The available evidence is based on studies conducted in adults or related to smoking.

Modern federal laws we have made therapeutic vaporizers – used to treat nicotine addiction – available on prescription to people under 18 years of age. However, this is subject to state and territory laws.

Other challenges

A history of trauma may also raise the challenges of quitting smoking.

We know family AND social support are powerful protective factors for juvenile people – for example when seeking support quit smoking.

However, this support is less likely to be available to children who have experienced violence and abuse given: most likely perpetrators they are their own family.

Childhood trauma can also lead to a lack of trust in health care professionals.

In addition to GPs and counsellors, juvenile people exposed to early trauma are likely to need specialist psychological support to develop healthier coping strategies.

What juvenile people need

We need a combination of universal and targeted prevention strategies.

In 2022-23, we have developed a universal school prevention program, the so-called OurFutures vaping program. It is currently being evaluated with over 5,000 students in Modern South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, and refined in response to student and teacher feedback.

We also need strategies that recognize childhood trauma as a risk factor for vaping and focus on harm reduction. We must do more to reduce childhood trauma evidence-based methods break cycles of abuse.

Consistent AND culturally safe These methods can support identify juvenile people with trauma early and provide them with access to comprehensive support trauma-informed care.

Not all juvenile people exposed to trauma will experience negative impacts, but many will – and Australia must be better prepared to respond.