Leading health education charity Life Ed Queensland is rolling out a new vaping education program for primary students this year as part of a nationwide early intervention strategy to help schools tackle the growing vaping problem.
It comes after the Queensland Government’s vaping inquiry warned of a new generation of nicotine-addicted adults unless urgent steps were taken to curb demand and the availability of vapes. Life Ed’s new vaping module, Take a Breath – your voice, your choice, will engage Years 5 and 6 students before they make the transition to high school. It follows reports that children as young as eight have inhaled e-cigarettes and their dangerous chemicals.
Life Ed Queensland CEO Michael Fawsitt, who addressed the vaping inquiry, said increasing use of vapes among young people highlights the urgent need for early education about the harms of vaping. “We need to empower young people to understand the real risks of vaping – without using scare tactics – so that they are equipped to make critical decisions before the move to high school,” Mr Fawsitt said.
Delivered by Life Ed’s team of specialist educators, the new vaping program was co-designed with young people from across Australia and was funded by Consumer Healthcare Products Australia (CHP Australia). Using video packages and other resources.
Take a Breath features children in Years 5 and 6 who have genuine questions about smoking and vaping, alongside high school students who provide the evidence-based answers. The innovative peer-to-peer program helps kids employ critical thinking skills to unpack issues like emerging health and environmental impacts, changing laws and social influences.
FAST FACTS
Life Ed Queensland’s own vaping survey of Queensland parents, teachers and students, presented to the State Government, revealed about 30% of Year 5 and 6 students may vape in the future.
With students who recently saw others vape, more than three times as likely to vape themselves.
- 45% of students have seen someone they know vaping.
- 1 in 4 students are unsure if vapes contain nicotine.
