The Commissioner for Children and Young People wants youngsters between 12 and 18 to take part in a survey about e-cigarette use, commonly known as vaping.
The Commissioner, Jacqueline McGowan-Jones said she wanted to hear young people’s views on e-cigarettes (vapes), including any concerns they may have about their use, access to e-cigarettes and what they want adults to know or do better when it comes to vapes and young people.
“There has been a lot of discussion about vaping,” Ms McGowan-Jones said.
“However, the voices and perspectives of young people are largely missing from the conversation,” she said.
“I want to make sure that our young people have a voice in the response to vaping, to give them a chance to tell us what they think about e-cigarettes and the impact vaping has on them.”
She said young people’s views can — and should — inform the policy and service response to e-cigarette use, because they know what works for them better than anyone else.
“All responses are anonymous and can be given quickly online on a smartphone, tablet or computer,” Ms McGowan-Jones said.
“I will be reporting back on findings from the survey later this year to assist in policy recommendations and service support for children and young people.”
Her comments came shortly before a Federal Government announcement that recreational vaping would be banned in Australia, as part of a major crackdown amid what experts say is an “epidemic”.
Minimum quality standards will also be introduced, and the sale of vapes restricted to pharmacies.
Nicotine vapes already require a prescription in Australia, but the industry is poorly regulated and a black market is thriving.
Federal Minister for Health, Mark Butler said the products were creating a new generation of nicotine addicts.
The survey can be accessed at this PS News link.
