Following new legislation cracking down on the importation of vapes, a program has been created to target young people’s education and awareness about the effects of vaping in Victorian schools.
The program, titled Seeing Through The Haze, was collaboratively developed by Quit Victoria, Monash University, VicHealth, the Victorian Department of Education, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Victoria.
Victorian educators and students from Years 7 to 10 will have access to a comprehensive suite of vaping education resources.
The resources are all free, evidence-based and curriculum-aligned for Victorian schools.
This initiative, designed to inform young people about the risks associated with vaping, aims to foster healthier communities.
Quit Victoria director Rachael Andersen said almost a third of all students had tried vaping and that the program was bringing much-needed classroom engagement on the topic.
Victorian Education Minister Ben Carroll welcomed the free education resources and said they would support schools to prevent and respond to vaping by providing further opportunities to help students understand its dangers through day-to-day learning.
“While vaping is a societal issue, schools are rightly concerned about the impacts of vaping on the physical and mental health of their students and are keen to be part of a broader, community-wide solution,” Mr Carroll said.
“That’s why we’re equipping schools with brand-new teaching and learning resources spanning health and physical education, English, science and other subjects, so teachers and principals have more support to address vaping right across the school curriculum.”
VicHealth chief executive Sandro Demaio said these new school resources would play a vital role in reducing and preventing vaping among young people.
“We know from our successful history in tobacco control that the classroom is an ideal environment for teenagers to learn about the harms of nicotine and smoking,” he said.
“As the raft of new regulations come into play this year to address the sale and promotion of vaping nationally, these evidence-based resources are a crucial and timely step in tackling vaping among young people.”
Cancer Council Victoria chief executive Todd Harper said the need to help students understand vaping health harms was urgent.
“We know people who vape are three times as likely to take up smoking,” Mr Harper said.
“Vaping can cause lung injury, lead to seizures and interrupt concentration.
“So, our intention is for these resources to empower students to work together to design vape-free spaces and advocate for a vape-free future.”
The resources are broken into separate modules to help students get the facts on vaping, understand how social factors contribute to vaping and develop anti-vaping campaigns to make changes.
This crackdown on vaping comes following criticism that the bright-coloured packaging and flavours were targeting young people and school students, with an alarming rise in vaping rates among that demographic.