Irish teens have replaced smoking for vaping, according to the latest Growing Up in Ireland report.
The study found one in ten had tried vaping where only 3% had smoked a cigarette.
Using the data from more than 6,000 13-year-olds and their parents, the study also found that girls are more likely to vape and drink alcohol than boys.
13-year-olds were more likely to have tried smoking if they had a parent who smoked. Those with parents who vaped or smoked were more likely to have tried vaping.
In the survey carried out between 2021 and 2022, 24% of 13-year-olds said they thought vaping was less harmful than smoking and one in ten said they had drank alcohol before.
Of those who had drank alcohol, 12% said they drank at least monthly, representing 1% of all 13-year-olds.
Teenagers were found to be more likely to have tried alcohol, if they reported that their parents binged on alcohol at least once a month.
No differences were observed according to family income or parental education when it came to 13-year-olds trying alcohol.
Almost one quarter of 13-year-olds were classified as overweight or obese. One-third of 13-year-old who were living in the lowest income families were found to be overweight or obese, compared to 20% of those from the highest income families.
