NSW Health and NSW Department of Education launch teen anti-vaping campaign

The 16-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of retribution said: "Everyone knows cigarettes are bad, so you just think of it as the lesser bad.

"Because there's not really any concrete evidence (about the health effects of vaping) in the same way there is with cigarettes, it's kind of disregarded."

"Everyone goes with: 'well everyone else does it, so of course it's not going to be harmful.'"

A state government campaign launched this week aims to challenge that notion, warning of the dangers of e-cigarettes and in particular, the damage they can cause to young people's lungs and brains.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said research has proven that e-cigarettes are just as addictive and harmful as regular cigarettes.

Many vapes contain nicotine, some at extremely high concentrations, even if they are not labelled as such, and evidence suggests they can lead to a lifelong nicotine addiction.

Nicotine has negative impacts on the developing brain, and can affect memory, mood and mental health.

Jamie says almost every vaper he knows uses nicotine.

"It's not usual to have a no-nicotine vape.

"If you're going to vape, what's the point if it hasn't got nicotine?" he said.

While it's illegal to buy and sell vapes containing nicotine in Australia without a prescription , Jamie says it's "very easy" to get one, either through contacts on Snapchat, or from retailers who sell them illegally.

Along with nicotine, vapes, or e-cigarettes can also contain other harmful substances found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray.

"A respiratory researcher once told me that e-vaping liquids have chemicals that are similar to antifreeze, with 500 different flavours to attract kids," Mr Hazzard said on Tuesday.

"It makes it pretty obvious as to the harm it can cause to youngsters' lungs."

A spokesperson from the Western NSW Local Health District said vaping has been linked to lung disease and can leave young people at risk of depression and anxiety.

Growing concern about the impact of vaping on young people prompted NSW Health to work with NSW Department of Education to launch the Get The Facts - Vaping Toolkit. It targets students aged 14 to 17 and provides resources for teachers, parents and carers to start conversations about the dangers of vaping.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell says the number of young people vaping without consideration to the effects is "concerning" and urged parents to discuss the dangers of e-cigarettes with their children and to report any usage in schools to principals.