National anti-vaping program for young Australians

The Australian Government is rolling out a national program to prevent young people from taking up vaping.

The OurFutures vaping program for Year 7 and 8 students will be available to reach more than 3,000 schools across the country. 

Vaping is endemic in Australian schools, and it has become the number one behavioural issue for many students.  

Data shows 1 in 6 high school students have vaped recently. 

Most concerningly, 12-year-olds who had vaped are 29 times more likely to go on to try smoking than 12-year-olds who had not vaped.

Developed by experts and co-designed with educators and young people, OurFutures puts vaping education and intervention in reach of all students regardless of school resources. 

The program, based on the effective OurFutures prevention model, cuts through misinformation, using a comprehensive harm-minimisation and social influence approach to empower young people to avoid vaping.   

A current trial of the OurFutures Vaping program – developed and delivered by the University of Sydney’s Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use – is proving to be successful.  

Led by Prof Nicola Newton, Dr Lauren Gardner and A/Prof Emily Stockings, this is the first clinical trial of an online vaping prevention program in Australia. 

Initial results with over 5,000 students in NSW, Queensland, and WA showed that immediately after receiving the program, students had significantly reduced intentions to vape, as well as improved knowledge about the harms and risks associated with vaping.

Over 8 in 10 students said the skills and information they learnt would help them deal more effectively with vaping situations in the future. 

Data from the trial has also revealed a clear association between poor mental health and vaping among Australian students, with those experiencing severe depressive symptoms and/or high levels of stress being more than twice as likely to have vaped. 

The OurFutures expansion comes as the Australian Government vaping reforms cut off the pipeline of vapes being sold to young people. 

Therapeutic vapes are now behind the pharmacy counter, rather than stocked at corner stores and vape shops with flavoured products designed to entice school students. 

All these steps are part of the Australian Government’s plans to protect young Australians from the harms associated with vaping. 

Schools can register their interest in the OurFutures vaping program. Young people can get further information about vaping and their mental health at www.health.gov.au/vaping/facts.

Quotes attributable to Minister Butler: 

“Vaping is a modern problem, and we need modern and innovative solutions if we are to avoid another generation of people becoming addicted to nicotine.

“The experts at the Matilda Centre have worked closely with students and teachers to develop and deliver an evidence-based online program to highlight the risks of vaping.

“The government is backing a national rollout of OurFutures Australia’s first, evidence-based vaping prevention program.

“We’re standing with thousands of parents and educators who are rightfully concerned about the impact of vaping and cigarettes on the health and wellbeing of young Australians.”

Quotes attributable to Minister Clare:

“Vaping is a major public health issue and major issue in our schools.

“Principals and teachers will tell you that vapes are causing massive behaviour problems in the classroom.

“That’s why banning the sale of these things is so important.

“It’s also why resources like the OurFutures vaping program are important – equipping teachers with the tools they need to help to educate young people about the dangers of vaping.”

Quotes attributable to Prof Nicola Newton, co-founder, OurFutures Institute, and Director of Prevention, the Matilda Centre, the University of Sydney: 

“We are thrilled that the government is investing in the roll out of an effective prevention model, based on decades of research led by Prof Maree Teesson, myself and our team.”

"With this roll-out, Australia will be leading the world with vaping and e-cigarette harm reduction”.

Quotes attributable to A/Prof Emily Stockings, Chief Investigator of the OurFutures Vaping program, the Matilda Centre, the University of Sydney:

“This investment in the OurFutures Vaping program will make significant strides towards preventing the uptake and use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes.

“This unique, evidence-based program provides young people with a toolkit of skills that can be used in the real world to prevent vaping and smoking. We know these kind of coping skills can also have flow on effects on mental health and wellbeing.”

Quotes attributable to Ken Wallace, CEO, OurFutures Institute:

“This critical investment from the government comes at a crucial time for Australian students who are facing enormous pressure and suffering significant harms from vaping and e-cigarettes.

“The national roll out of the OurFutures Vaping program will make a huge difference to the wellbeing of many young Australians."