Do you know what you’re vaping
NT Health and Cancer Council NT have launched a campaign to educate young people, their schools and families about the health risks of vaping.
The 'Do you know what you're vaping?' campaign includes a toolkit of materials to inform Territory teens aged 13 to 17 and empower parents, carers and teachers to provide accurate information about vaping to young people.
Campaign resources address myths and misconceptions about vaping and provide trusted information, delivered through a range of platforms including social media, fact sheets, posters, school newsletters and digital advertising.
People who vape are three times more likely to take up smoking compared to those who have not used e-cigarettes. While many people believe their vapes do not contain addictive substances, a 2019 Australian study found that 6 out of 10 vapes labelled as nicotine-free did contain nicotine.
National data states that:
- 1 in 4 people aged 18-24 years have vaped before and 4 out of 5 people think that it is easy to buy a vape from a retailer.
- 1 in 3 people who vape go on to smoke in the future
- For the first time in decades, under 25s are the only cohort in the community currently recording an increase in smoking rates.
Vaping is especially concerning for young people because their brains are still developing, and the nicotine and chemicals in vapes can harm their brain development.
Young people can also become addicted to nicotine quicker, and at lower or less regular levels of consumption, than adults.
Using vapes as a smoking cessation aid should only be done with the advice of a doctor and with a valid prescription. For people who have never smoked, it's best not take up vaping in order to avoid nicotine addiction and other harmful health effects.
For more information and to view selected campaign materials visit Vaping
