Blue Sky Communities Team Leader Sam Stanford and MNCLHD’s Health Promotion District Project Officer Jacqueline Smith at the launch.

Youth Vaping Action Plan launched in Coffs Harbour

Jun 04, 2024

In conjunction with World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) on 31 May, the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce launched its Youth Vaping Action Plan, to drive a community-informed approach to reduce the uptake and harms of e-cigarettes on young people.

The Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) and Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) have led the establishment of the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce, bringing together government and non-government organisations to tackle the increase in vaping among young people in the area.

The Youth Vaping Action Plan has been informed by extensive community and stakeholder consultation over two years – including schools, youth organisations, healthcare providers and young people.

The plan focuses on prevention, reducing harm and providing support to young people who are nicotine-dependent due to vaping. Strategies and activities will be actioned across a range of settings including community, education, health, regulation and the environment.

A key initiative under the plan was developing an online Youth Vaping Hub with evidence-based training and resources for schools, parents, health professionals and the wider community, ensuring access to up-to-date information about vaping and regulations.

Settings-based strategies include a school-based pilot program Clouded Minds which aims to support students who vape; development of youth-led campaigns to improve community knowledge and awareness; a needs assessment with health professionals to inform youth vaping support strategies; and cross-agency collaboration to support retail compliance activities across the North Coast.

The MNCLHD Health Promotion team received grant funding from the Cancer Institute aligned with WNTD to partner with Blue Sky Communities and their Groundworks Youth Hub to develop a youth-led campaign promoting vape-free messages.

The campaign will align with the theme of World No Tobacco Day this year, ‘Youth Step In and Speak Out’ which is about giving a platform for people to speak up against the marketing tactics of the tobacco and e-cigarette industry. The project aims to work with young people to develop creative ways to produce vape-free messaging among their peers.

To read the Youth Vaping Action Plan, or to learn more about youth vaping, visit the Mid North Coast Local Health District Youth Vaping Hub.