A Ballarat mother whose teenage son is addicted to vaping has backed calls by Victorian health organisations to toughen legislation on the devices in the state.
The parent, who requested to not be named, said her then 16-year-old son came to her six months ago to reveal he had started vaping.
"It really alarmed me ... because we were going to go on a holiday, and he told me he didn't want to go," she recalled.
"I said, 'Why not?', and he said, 'Because I can't vape'."
"It hit me how addicting [vaping] can be."
Now 17, the year 11 student has been unable to quit vaping, despite unwavering support from his parents.
The mother-of-three says her son and other friends access the vaping products, which are illegal to sell to under-18s in Australia, through either social media or vaping stores.
"They're not allowed to sell the product ... but they do," she said.
The woman said her 15-year-old son had told her of an incident at school where a classmate was videoed vaping for the first time and subsequently passed out.
"The kids have no idea what they're putting into their lungs," she said.
She said her 17-year-old son estimates about 30 per cent of his peers are vaping.
Surge in Victorians vaping
New research conducted by the Cancer Council Victoria shows the amount of Victorian adults vaping has almost doubled from 154,895 in 2018-19 to 308,827 in 2022.
Young people aged 18 to 30 make up the largest proportion of vape users.
Cancer Council Victoria, along with QUIT and VicHealth, is calling for the state government to introduce a retail licensing scheme for vapes and e-cigarettes in Victoria.
There is no licensing scheme for smoking products in Victoria.
Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper wants the proposed licensing scheme to include retailers of tobacco and e-cigarettes.
"It would be able to retain information on outlets that are selling these products, and also make sure they receive appropriate education about their duties and responsibilities as a retailer," he said.
The three organisations also want the federal government to "do more" to stop the unlawful importation of e-cigarettes to Australia.
Since 2021, a valid prescription has been needed to import e-cigarettes containing nicotine.
'Vapes in the playground'
The Australian Council on Smoking and Health (ACOSH) has suggested the federal government take a two-pronged approach to overhaul its legislation on vapes.
Chief executive Maurice Swanson believes a "new, more broadly worded prohibited-imports regulation" is the first step in stopping the flow of the devices into Australia.
"That would include all e-cigarettes and accompanying products, regardless of whether they contain nicotine," he said.
ACOSH is also advocating for consideration of an Australia-wide ban on the importation, manufacturing, and selling of e-cigarettes.
"If the federal government were to do those two things properly and promptly, we could address this issue," Mr Swanson said.
"If they don't, we're just going to continue with the current ridiculous situation where kids can basically get (vapes) in the playground."
While the Ballarat parent has backed calls for urgent legislative reform, she fears change may not come soon enough to stop the next generation from becoming addicted to vaping.
"Is it going to be a politician's son or daughter who becomes addicted before they go, 'Hang on, we need to do something'," she said.
In a statement, a Victorian government spokesperson said it is exploring options for strengthening its approach to compliance and enforcement of existing laws.
The federal health minister is yet to respond to the ABC's request for comment.
