Spokesperson Laura Bajurny said psychoactive drugs - including nicotine, cannabis and alcohol - affect the developing brain, and called the use of these drugs as an adolescent "pretty risky".

"What I see with vaping is a belief that it is harmless. It's all over social media; the fact that you can search #vape on Instagram and it's OK to post about that there, I find staggering," she said.

Ms Bajurny said vaping nicotine was "not risk free", and called the misconception that vaping was harmless a "big problem".

"The drug that is addictive is nicotine - it poses a high risk for dependence. But whether vapes have nicotine or not, there are negative health impacts," she said.

The Royal Children's Hospital website echoes Ms Bajurny's comments, stating that nicotine exposure during the teenage years can harm brain development, which continues until about age 25: "It can impact learning, memory and attention, and increase risk for future addiction to other drugs. Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to go on to use regular cigarettes."

It is illegal to purchase any e-liquids or e-cigarettes containing nicotine for personal use from any Australian retailer. Vapes come in a number of flavours such as blueberry or bubble-gum that make them appealing. According to NSW Health, many vapes also contain nicotine - even if labelled otherwise.

Ms Bajurny said these flavours seemed to be marketed towards younger people: "I think young people have been quite significantly targeted about the range of flavours and the use of influencers - that's why it's been seen to be trendy."

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The NSW Health website states the main ingredient in vapes is propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine or glyercol: "Vapes can contain the same harmful chemicals found in cleaning products, nail polish remover, weed killer and bug spray. They just don't put it on the pack."

During the NSW Government's Vaping Toolkit campaign launch to stop young people vaping, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said research had proven that e-cigarettes were just as addictive and harmful as regular cigarettes.

"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.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' National Health Survey 2020-21, e-cigarette or vaping use was more common in people aged 18-24 than any other age groups, with 4.8 per cent reporting they currently use a device.