A new anti-vaping program targeting primary school children is rolling out across Logan, as reports emerge that students as young as eight are vaping.
Health education organisation Life Ed’s new vaping module ‘Take a Breath – your voice, your choice” will engage students from years five and six about the effects of vaping before they make the transition to high school.
The program will use a variety of resources, including video and in-person lessons, to educate children about emerging health and environmental impacts, changing laws and social influences surrounding vapes.
Students will have the opportunity to ask questions about smoking and vaping.
Not only will Life Ed educators be there to provide answers, but so will high school students who can bring an experience-based approach.
Life Ed Queensland CEO Michael Fawsitt addressed the government’s vaping inquiry.
He said the increasing use of vapes among young people highlighted the urgent need for early education intervention.
“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.
“Many schools have told us they don’t have the capacity to deliver comprehensive vaping education, so we’re thrilled to be able to offer schools a holistic, best practice and evidence-based program that will present the facts and debunk the myths around vaping.”
A survey of parents, teachers and students, conducted by Life Ed Queensland, found that around 30 per cent of Year 5 and 6 students may vape in the future.
Students who recently saw others vape were more than three times as likely to vape themselves.
The survey also found:
– 45 per cent of students have seen someone they know vaping
– one in four students are unsure if vapes contain nicotine
– one in five students are unsure if vapes contain harmful chemicals.
“If children can understand the risks, they can make informed choices,” Mr Fawsitt said.
