Vaping among teenagers is becoming a major problem across the world. In NSW health officials are concerned about the rising cases of vaping among young people. For this reason, they want parents to understand the health risks vaping may pose and help their kids stay away from these products during school holidays.
Recently, Dr Kerry Chant, the NSW Chief Health Officer, has been on a campaign to encourage parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of vaping early in their lives. This is one of the ways to discourage kids from taking up vaping.
Speaking to the press, Dr Chant said that the health office is encouraging parents to learn about the dangers that vaping products pose. They should also learn what these devices look like as some are designed to look like pans or USB sticks and can easily be hidden. He further cautioned that vaping products contain a lot of dangerous chemicals that are known to cause irreversible health complications in life. For young people, there are no safe vaping products.
He asked parents to call 1800011511 for mental health referral. While giving out the number he reminded parents that scientific studies have linked vaping among teens to mental health concerns. Parents should therefore be on the lookout for any signs of mental problems in their teenage kids. If there is any problem, they should consider calling Quitline counsellors number 137848 for support.
These efforts to reach out to parents are a continuation of the “Do You Know What You’re Vaping?” campaign that was launched in NSW earlier in the year. The toolkit for this awareness campaign was made public so that parents and teachers can have the right information to guide children on the dangers of vaping.
According to Brad Hazzard, the Health Minister said that there was sufficient evidence vaping was similar to inhaling harmful chemicals found in nail polish remover and weedkiller but in appealing flavours. The minister believes that it is the role of the government to educate kids on the dangers of vaping.
The “Do You Know What You’re Vaping?” The campaign has had some encouraging results. In just four months from March 2022 to June 2022, the campaign generated over 11.5 social media views. Speaking on the success of the campaign Dr Chant said that it was appealing to learn that parents are now taking initiatives to educate their children on the dangers of vaping. He wants the parents and other stakeholders to take serious action including reporting retailers who sell vaping products to kids. This will enable the government to take appropriate action to curb the supply and sale of illegal vaping products to kids.
The government of NSW has been working to crack down on the sale of illegal vapes and other nicotine-containing products in the state. This quarter the government has seized contraband vaping products worth over $1.6 million. Between February 2021 and September 2022, the government seized illegal e-cigarettes worth more than $.6 million. All this is to keep all NSW residents including teens safe from the dangers posed by use of these harmful substances.
