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 for NSW North Coast

May 31, 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.

Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) and Northern NSW Local Health District 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.

MNCLHD’s Health Promotion District Manager Nicola Kerr said a key activity of the North Coast Youth Vaping Taskforce has been to develop the Youth Vaping Action Plan based on extensive community and stakeholder consultation over the past two years.

“The Action Plan incorporates the viewpoints of organisations across the NSW North Coast who have an interest in or have been impacted by the growing rates of e-cigarette use in young people, including schools, youth organisations, healthcare providers and youth themselves,” Ms Kerr said.

“A big focus is on prevention, reducing harms 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 has been the development of 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 the 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.

Blue Sky Communities Team Leader Sam Stanford said the Action Plan provided an opportunity for local youth organisations such as his to be involved in a coordinated approach to preventing young people from taking up vaping and supporting those who have already quit vaping.

“We are excited to announce, thanks to Cancer Institute NSW and Mid North Coast Local Health District, Blue Sky will be partnering with community-based organisations and schools to develop a youth-led campaign promoting vape-free messages,” Mr Stanford said.

“This campaign will align with the theme for this year’s World No Tobacco Day, Youth Step In and Speak Out, which is about giving a platform for youth across the world to speak up against the marketing tactics of the tobacco and e-cigarette industry.

“We are looking forward to working with young people on creative ways to share vape-free messaging among their peers.”

To read the Youth Vaping Action Plan, or to find out more about youth vaping, visit the Mid North Coast Local Health District Youth Vaping Hub at: www.mnclhd.health.nsw.gov.au/healthy-living/youth-vaping

If you need support to quit smoking or vaping, Quitline counsellors are available to answer questions on 13 7848 (13 QUIT). Quitline counsellors can provide tips and strategies and help people to plan to quit. They can also help parents and carers think of ways to approach a conversation about vaping with young people.

Visit the Cancer Institute NSW website for more information on smoking or vaping and how to quit for good.