Vaping - What you need to know
Vaping
Vaping awareness and prevention is imperative for our young people. This year we have begun a mandatory education program for all MacKillop College students. All students will have completed the one hour course by the end of Term Two. On this page is information on how our young people are accessing e-Cigarettes, general content on vaping and ways to help someone to stop vaping.
You can also access a Student Help Page underneath the vaping menu above.
Some things you might not know about vaping
They are very, very, very easy to get (and I mean very)!
Even though all vapes are illegal for minors, and vapes containing nicotine are illegal for all without a prescription, our young people seem to be able to get them so easily. The way in which they often purchase them puts them at considerable risk.
Your child/ren could ask a friend they know who sells vapes, or a friend of a friend, however one of the most common ways is through social media. Instagram for example; simply typing the word vape into the search will provide you with a lengthy list of sellers who will either post or deliver directly to your door. One of the primary methods of deliver is organised through Snapchat, selling face to face in their local areas. The added concern of this is that the young person is then arranging to meet up with a random person, often an adult in out of the way places like playgrounds, beaches and car parks. Stalking, harrassment, physical and sexual violence have all been reported as a result of this kind of vape selling.
Vape marketing is targeted at young people.
Marketing of vaping products to young people, often involves a multi-faceted approach that capitalises on a minor's vulnerabilities and preferences. Vaping companies frequently design their products with appealing, sleek, and colorful packaging to draw in the younger demographic. They employ flavors that mimic popular lollies, desserts, and fruits, which are particularly enticing to young taste buds.
Social media platforms are a prime avenue for these companies. They utilise influencers and user-generated content to create a sense of community and social acceptance around vaping. In some cases, viral challenges and giveaways are used to engage and create buzz among young users.
Additionally, aggressive online advertising and promotional campaigns are carefully crafted to resonate with the interests, lifestyle, and aspirations of young people, creating a perception that vaping is a cool and harmless activity. All these tactics contribute to the concerning trend of marketing vaping towards a vulnerable and impressionable young audience.
Flavours hook kids
And they can can explode!
Given that it's a relatively new thing there are many things we do know but so many things we don't...
The biggest unknown regarding vaping is around the long term effects.
E-cigarettes were invented in 2003 as an alternative to smoking, and their use has gradually risen with a meteoric rise in popularity since approximately 2010. As the technology and product is relatively new, the full extent of the damage being caused will not be fully understood for another 15 to 20 years. However what we do know, is that despite claiming to have no nicotine, most vapes do in fact contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive (even more than heroin and cocaine), and as a result young people are becoming addicted to vapes in a short amount of time. Using nicotine in adolescence can harm parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulse control. Vapes also contains hundreds of chemicals (none of which are meant to enter the lungs), and as such it should not be considered a 'clean and healthy' way to smoke.
How can you help your young person?
Our wellbeing site contains a page for students informing them how the school community can help them to stop. It also links them to external providers specifically designed to help young people break their vaping habit.
Click on the button below to see what this page looks like...
There are also great resources out there specifically for Parents and Carers; try any of these below.
Want to learn more?
Vape Haze - 4 Corners
Four Corners investigates the explosion in vaping amongst teenagers and the booming black market which is thriving in Australia.