An estimated 6.9 percent of New Zealand teenagers aged between 15-17 are using e-cigarettes daily, the Ministry of Health said in a report published on Tuesday.
Seventy-six percent of those teens were never cigarette smokers in the first place, according to the survey conducted between July 2021 and 2022.
"Estimates for young people aged 15-17 are based on small numbers and should be interpreted with caution," the Ministry said.
"Based on pooled data for 2020/21 and 2021/22, 1 in 14 young people aged 15-17 (6.9 percent) were daily vapers. Of these, 76 percent were never-smokers, 18 percent were ex-smokers and 6 percent were current smokers."
Teens who reported e-cigarette use accounted for 4 percent of all daily vapers, the study showed.
"In 2021/22, there were an estimated 346,000 daily vapers. Of these, 56 percent were ex-smokers, 22 percent were current smokers and 18 percent were never-smokers," the report said.
The report suggested e-cigarette use was up significantly from 2017/18 when there were 103,000 daily vapers.
It comes after the Government on Tuesday moved to crack down on flavoured e-cigarettes in a bid to prevent teens becoming hooked on nicotine. Health Minister Ayesha Verrall also announced a ban on new shops with 300 metres of schools or marae being allowed to sell vapes.
From August, all vapes sold will also need removable or rechargeable batteries - a move that stops disposable e-cigarettes in their tracks.
But Papatoetoe High School principal Vaughan Couillaut is calling for more action.
"Any regulation that further restricts access for young people is going to be a good thing," Couillaut told AM on Wednesday.
"I think it's a step in the right direction. I would've liked that 300 metre boundary to be a little bit broader - possibly to come into play for existing places and have a sinking lid on top of retailers we have close to schools and marae.
"We've had a massive increase in the number of people vaping in the last 18 months-two years and it's become a daily headache for all [principals]."
