Barwon Health is taking a stand against vaping through a new campaign to encourage young people to consider a healthier option.
The ‘Start a Conversation – to help stop vaping’ launched last month with posters placed throughout Geelong to direct young people to an online resource to support them in giving up vaping.
Barwon Health’s Healthy Communities unit manager Owen Pietsch said there was evidence that people who smoked or vaped regularly were more likely to report mental health concerns.
“National research from the Generation Vape Report 2024 suggests that 15 per cent of 14- to 17-year-olds have vaped,” he said.
“Our ‘Start a Conversation – to help stop vaping’ campaign encourages young people to start a conversation with friends that vape through a series of helpful posters.
“The National Health and Medical Research Council warn that many chemicals in vapes pose serious health risks to young people, including substances known to cause cancer and lung disease.
“The recently released Geelong Preventative Health Survey 2024 (City of Greater Geelong) reports that 10 per cent of young people aged 18- to 24 years-old in the Greater Geelong region use vapes.”
Mr Pietsch said the posters were displayed at sports clubs, schools and buses to provide a pathway to helpful resources and structure for people wanting to start a conversation.
The posters were a collaboration with young people and organisations like headspace, Meli, Read the Play, and RUOK, which recognised the potential link between nicotine use and mental health concerns.
By Jena Carr
