The Health Promotion team at Western Health are concerned about the rising prevalence of vaping in our school communities. In the previous 5 years, the number of young people aged 14-17 vaping at least once in the past month has risen from less than 2% in 2018, to 14.5% in 2023 (University of Sydney, 2023). There are many health concerns for young people vaping including lung damage and increased risks of depression among other issues (Quit Victoria, 2024).
Starting in 2023, the Health Promotion team and Community Health Nurses have partnered with the Melton City Council Young Communities team to provide vaping awareness sessions to schools for students in grade 6 and older. In this session, presenters discuss what vaping is, the health impacts, vaping and the law as well as tips for avoiding vaping and supports available to quit vaping.
The sessions are delivered by a community health nurse, health promotion officer and youth workers based on the latest available information from trusted source; Quit Victoria. In 2023, over 1200 students took part in a vaping education session.
Schools are welcome to contact the Health Promotion team or Melton City Council to arrange a presentation in 2024. The Vaping education sessions can also be tailored for other audiences such as sporting clubs, community groups or other interested organisations. Please contact us for further information and to discuss the needs of your group.
You can also support this session at home by having conversations about vaping with the young people in your household. For advice and more information on how to talk to young people about vaping, you can visit Quit Victoria’s webpage: https://www.quit.org.au/articles/teenvaping or the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation webpage: https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/E-cigarettes_and_teens/
