Hooked again – why a new generation is addicted to nicotine

A new generation has become addicted to nicotine.  

Australia almost had smoking beaten. Thanks to decades of education, regulation and cultural change, smoking rates plummeted. And then: vaping.  

Lily started vaping at 17 and hasn't been able to stop. Social vaping quickly became a daily dependency, and now it affects every aspect of her life - from her health, sleep and appetite to her bank account. 

Professor Becky Freeman from the University of Sydney School of Public Health has spent 25 years working in tobacco control. Now she's tackling vaping, and she says this disruption wasn't accidental. 

Becky reveals how a loophole during the pandemic allowed vapes to flood Australian retail stores, why enforcement has been so difficult, and what's finally starting to work. The good news? School vaping rates are coming down thanks to targeted education programs and tighter regulations. 

Learn more about Becky's work with Generation Vape and Our Futures. 

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The Solutionists is a podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Facebook and Instagram, and @sydney.edu.au on Bluesky. 

This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Jen Peterson-Ward, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. 

This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

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