Last week, the federal government announced a plan to roll out an anti-vaping program in schools across the country. The education program, called OurFutures , aims to prevent young people taking up vaping. It has been developed by experts from the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use with input from educators and young people.
So why do we need this program, what will it involve, and will it be an effective way to stop young people taking up vaping? Let’s take a closer look. Vaping is on the rise A survey of Australian high school students in 2022–23 showed almost one in three reported having tried vaping, while one in six had vaped in the previous month. This represents a significant increase over time, with rates of both lifetime (ever) vaping and vaping in the past month more than doubling since 2017.
However, since this data were collected, new laws to control the supply of and access to vapes have been introduced, which aim to reduce the prevalence of vaping. Evidence showing the harmful effects of vaping is mounting. A 2022 review found vaping was linked to a range of negative health outcomes including poisoning, addiction, burns to the face, hands and thighs, lung injury, and an increased likelihood of taking up tobacco smoking.
Vapes, or e-cigarettes, have been found to contain a number of chemicals known to cause cancer , including formaldehyde, acetone, and heavy metals such as nickel and lead. This means young.
