New data has revealed a sharp rise in smoking and vaping among young Australians, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the Albanese Government’s vape crackdown.
Australians aged 18 to 24 now have the highest rate of smoking or vaping of any age group, with 28 per cent (700,000 people) reporting they engage in one or both habits.
That’s up from 25.1 per cent (620,000) in September 2024, a steep 2.9 percentage point rise in less than a year.
Vaping alone is now undertaken by 20.5 per cent (510,000) of this age group, up from 19 per cent (470,000).
It marks the highest vaping rate recorded for young adults since early 2024.
More worryingly, there has been a significant jump in factory-made cigarette (FMC) use.
In the same period, the proportion of 18 to 24-year-olds smoking FMCs climbed from 8.2 per cent (200,000) to 11.1 per cent (280,000).
Use of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco also ticked up slightly, from 7.1 per cent to 7.6 per cent.
The number of Australians vaping has risen since bans were introduced last year
The numbers follow a surge of illegal tobacco shops, which are booming across the country
The rise comes despite the federal government’s sweeping anti-vape legislation.
The laws, which came into effect on July 1, last year, banned the importation, production, supply, advertisement, and commercial possession of disposable, non-therapeutic vapes.
However, the latest figures from Roy Morgan released this week suggest the policy has had minimal impact on curbing nicotine use, and may even be pushing young people toward more harmful tobacco products.
Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine said the data paints a worrying picture.
‘The legislation was phased in starting from July 2024, but the data clearly shows that it has failed to reduce the overall incidence of smoking and vaping,’ she said.
‘In fact, rates are now higher than they were during the latter half of last year, and the raw number of Australians who smoke or vape has increased.’
The crackdown is also driving a rise in illegal tobacco shops, which are surging in number across the country, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney.
One major Sydney newspaper reported there are now 60 tobacco retailers for every McDonald’s restaurant in New South Wales, many operating outside the law.
The number of Aussies aged 18-24 who smoke is up almost 3 per cent since the ban started
In response, the NSW Opposition announced plans on Sunday to introduce new legislation aimed at tightening enforcement and targeting the black market trade in tobacco and vapes.
NSW Shadow Health Minister Kellie Sloane said the government’s lack of action was allowing organised crime to flourish.
‘We can’t risk a new generation getting hooked on cheap cigarettes and destroying their health because the Minns Government failed to act on enforcement and tougher penalties,’ she said.
According to the new data overall, 17.1 per cent of Australians aged 18 and over now smoke cigarettes, RYO tobacco, or vapup from 16.8 per cent at the end of 2024.
That equates to an additional 110,000 people, bringing the total number of smokers and vapers to 3.7 million.
The increase follows a low point in usage recorded just months earlier, and has been driven largely by a resurgence in factory-made cigarette use.
Between September 2024 and now, the number of Australians smoking FMCs rose from 7.9 per cent (1.67 million) to 8.3 per cent (1.79 million), an increase of 120,000.
Vaping rates, meanwhile, saw only a modest decline. Currently, 7.5 per cent of the adult population (1.61 million) vape, down just 0.2 percentage points from September 2024.
Notably, the rise in smoking and vaping is not seen across all age groups.
While rates jumped among 18-to 24-year-olds, they declined in several other demographics.
Usage fell by 0.7 per cent among 25-to-34-year-olds, 0.4 per cent in the 50–64 bracket, and 0.2 per cent among those aged 65 and over.
No change was recorded for people aged 35 to 49.
The figures suggest the government’s efforts to restrict access to non-therapeutic vapes have been a failure, particularly for younger Australians.
