The dangers of vaping are being highlighted in a new campaign from NSW Health urging people to give up what it says is a ‘hazardous habit’.
Opening the campaign, NSW Health teamed with the Department of Education to develop the Get the Facts – Vaping Toolkit, containing evidence-based resources and educational materials for parents, carers, young people and schools.
Welcoming his Department’s campaign and Toolkit, Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard said they were designed to increase young people’s awareness of the dangers of vaping and support parents, carers, families, schools and educators, health and community bodies with information and strategies to educate and protect young people from the harms of e-cigarettes.
“The campaign, which is aimed at secondary students, reminds parents, carers, young people and teachers vaping is not safe and can have harmful, long-term effects to the physical and brain development of young people,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Research has proven that e-cigarettes are just as addictive and harmful as regular cigarettes,” he said.
“A respiratory researcher once told me that e-vaping liquids have chemicals that are similar to antifreeze, with 500 different flavours to attract kids.
“It makes it pretty obvious as to the harm it can cause to youngsters’ lungs.”
Mr Hazzard said many vapes contained nicotine, some at extremely high concentrations, even if they were not labelled as such and “evidence suggests they can lead to a lifelong nicotine addiction”.
Minister for Education, Sarah Mitchell urged parents to discuss the dangers of e-cigarettes with their children and to report any usage in schools to principals.
“The number of young people vaping without consideration to the effects is concerning,” Ms Mitchell said.
“I encourage all parents and young people to find out more and talk about the hidden, dangerous impacts of e-cigarettes,” she said.
“Educating our young people about the dangers of vaping is essential when there continues to be a large number of reckless individuals selling nicotine products to minors.”
Ms Mitchell said the campaign would raise awareness of the hidden chemicals in vapes among secondary school students and provide a resource for teachers, parents and carers to kickstart conversations.
The seven-page Vaping Toolkit can be accessed at this PS News link.
