By Zoe Moffatt
Macedon Ranges Health will be running a vaping information session for parents at Gisborne Secondary College on Tuesday, May 2, with Quit Victoria revealing vaping is on the rise.
Not-for-profit organisation Benetas, which operates Macedon Ranges Health, will run the session from 6.30pm to 7.30pm to address the dangers of vaping, especially in children.
Benetas community health and care manager Helen Kemp said it is concerning to see the increase of vaping in younger people.
“There is a common misconception that vaping is less harmful than traditional cigarettes, and that certainly is not true,” she said.
“Both are incredibly harmful, and the risk to young people is immense…the increase in young people vaping is a serious concern.”
“We want to help parents understand the real risks and health impacts of vaping, so they can help educate their children.”
The information session will follow on from Quit Victoria’s recent report which found a significant number of young adults have taken up vaping, despite regulations limiting access to vapes.
Quit Victoria has revealed that e-cigarette use increased from 17 per cent to 22 per cent between 2018 and 2022, with over half of the users aged under 30 years old.
From the users under 30 years old, Quit Victoria said almost 60 per cent were aged between 18 and 24 years old.
Research has shown that vaping is just as harmful or more harmful than traditional cigarettes, with research showing users between 10 and 19 years of age are more than three times as likely to start smoking cigarettes.
Nicotine harms the way teenage brains grow, which may affect memory and concentration and while the long-term health effects are not yet known, long-term impacts could include an increased risk of cancer, heart disease or lung disease.
The information session will be held at the college’s Barcham Theatre.
Details: 5428 0300 or 13 7848
