A parliamentary inquiry will look into the health risks of vaping and how many young people are using e-cigarettes in a bid to further slash smoking rates.

The Queensland government on Sunday announced the inquiry to better inform people about the dangers of vaping.

The Parliament’s Health and Environment Committee will investigate what schools are doing to discourage vaping as e-cigarettes worryingly grow in popularity among young people.

“Fewer people are smoking but we are seeing a significant number of people vaping,” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

“If vaping is a stepping stone to smoking, we need to ensure Queenslanders, especially young Queenslanders, are aware of the health risks.”

As of 2020, the prevalence of daily smoking in Queensland had dropped by 47 per cent since 2002, research from the Queensland Chief Health Officer’s office showed.

However, people who tried e-cigarettes were three times more likely to take up smoking, the Australian National University found.

The public needed to be made aware of what e-cigarettes contained, whether that be nicotine or dangerous chemicals, Ms Palaszczuk said.

They also needed to know the long-term consequences of vaping.

“The committee will be able to recommend the best way forward for the government to address what is an important health issue for current and future generations of Queenslanders,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Health Minister Yvette D’Ath added while many vaping products were marketed as “nicotine free”, that was not always the case.

E-cigarettes could also contain other chemicals like those found in nail polish remover, she said.

More than 80 per cent of Queenslanders want the government to act on vaping to stop future generations becoming addicted to nicotine, the Cancer Council Australia found.

Most adults also perceive e-cigarettes as highly addictive. 

The committee is expected to report back about the inquiry by August 31.

By Cassandra Morgan in Melbourne