Plain packaging requirements and limits on nicotine amounts and flavours still apply, as does pharmacists’ discretion when it comes to distributing vapes to help stop smoking or to manage nicotine dependence.
Outside pharmacies, the sale of non-therapeutic vapes is still illegal.
BCHS has been vocal about the dangers of vaping having witnessed first-hand the impact it is having on young people in particular. Our community health survey, which partly focuses on getting feedback around a reduction in smoking and vape use, noted at its July launch that in Bendigo, 40.5% of young people aged 0-24 “vaped occasionally or regularly, or know someone who does” (City of Greater Bendigo 2023).
Other research has shown that for teenagers the perceived benefits of vaping – social inclusion, nicotine hits, stress relief and appetite suppression – outweigh the potential costs of addiction, health harm and friendship troubles (van Bueren, van der beeke, Grainger and Petrut, 2022).
BCHS’ Health Promotion team has been delivering education online and in person to schools, parents and young people in the Bendigo region following community concern on the increased use of e-cigarettes.
“We’ve provided a number of Tough Talks Vaping Kits to local schools for teachers / school nurses to have conversations around vaping,” Natalia says. “We have also delivered a Tough Talks Webinar focusing on vaping and how to support young people to stop for parents and caregivers.
“Internally we are upskilling in a number of ways to ensure the support we offer the community is informed and up to date. We have spoken to teams to make sure they are familiar with the new vaping reforms, and we have also increased the number of frontline staff completing the health practitioners Quit training.
“In the near future we will be offering vaping education within primary schools for grade 5s and 6s, and we are getting ready to relaunch our youth vaping video,” she says.
“We know that vaping is still wrongly perceived as being a safer alternative to smoking. So, it’s important that we keep the conversation going.
“There is no safe way to vape.
“We encourage people who are still using vapes, or who may have quit and are feeling tempted to take it up again, to reach out to their medical practitioner for support to create a Quit plan or get in touch with BCHS’ Quit program on (03) 5406 1200.”
Local services which support people to quit nicotine include BCHS, Youth Support and Advocacy Service and headspace Bendigo. Additionally, people can seek support from Quit Victoria online or via phone.
Take our Community Health Survey here.
