Empowering young people to prevent e-cigarette use
Jul 19, 2023
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The podcast discusses the concerns of teachers about e-cigarette use among adolescents in Australia. The Peru team shares their research project on vaping prevention and their efforts to empower students. They also talk about their innovative programs for youth health, involving the school community, lack of research on adolescent vaping, and the need for support services and collaboration.
A community approach involving all members of the school community is crucial to address the issue of e-cigarette use among adolescents.
There is a need for more reliable information, stronger policies, and comprehensive knowledge to effectively prevent and address e-cigarette use among young people.
Deep dives
Importance of Community Approach in Vaping Prevention
The Peru team, consisting of researchers and educators, has been conducting the Unpacking Vaping and Schools Project to address the concerns of e-cigarette use among adolescents. They emphasize the significance of a community approach, involving all members of the school community, such as parents, students, staff, and health professionals, to collectively address the issue. By including diverse perspectives and involving stakeholders in decision-making processes, more effective prevention strategies can be developed. Initiatives like Q&A sessions with parents, monthly meetings with professionals, and chemical analysis of confiscated e-cigarettes provide valuable insights and actively engage the community.
Key Findings and Perceptions on Vaping
The Peru team's study found that all groups (students, staff, and parents) recognized the harmful effects of vaping on young people and expressed a desire for more reliable information and stronger policies. Students were curious about the addictive nature and mechanics of e-cigarettes, while staff sought practical strategies to manage vaping in schools. Parents wanted comprehensive knowledge to engage in factual conversations with their children. Factors contributing to adolescent e-cigarette use included the normalizing influence of peers, the perception that vaping is not as harmful as smoking, and using e-cigarettes as a coping mechanism for mental health issues. Different concerns among groups included misuse, addiction, gateway effects, education, behavior, and open dialogues.
Future Initiatives and Programs for Vaping Prevention
The Peru team has several exciting initiatives in progress. They launched the Youth Voices unpacking vaping poster competition and developed the unpacking e-cigarettes online course to educate and empower students. The Beat program aims to address asthma and e-cigarette use simultaneously by empowering students through leadership development and social marketing projects. The research team also engages healthcare providers and school staff to develop effective strategies for prevention and cessation. Their comprehensive approach combines research, training, and referral pathways to support young people in overcoming nicotine addiction. The team emphasizes the importance of partnerships and the whole-school approach for successful vaping prevention.
We know that e-cigarette use among adolescents in Australia has quickly become a pressing issue for schools. In fact, data released last year showed that teachers are specifically worried about vaping addiction and the unknown effects of chemicals in e-cigarettes.
But what do students themselves think about vaping, and what kind of support would they value and respond to? How can educators empower them to say no to vaping, and work towards the prevention of e-cigarette use among young people? In this episode of The Research Files we’re going to hear from the PERU team (which stands for Prevention Education and Research Unit). They sit within the Western Sydney Local Health District’s Research Education Network and have been looking into the issue of vaping through their ongoing research project, the Unpacking Vaping in Schools Project.
Joining us today is Professor Smita Shah OAM, the Director of PERU; Kym Rizzo Liu, the Project Manager of PERU; and Catriona Lockett, Research Officer at PERU.
Host: Dominique Russell
Guests: Smita Shah, Kym Rizzo Liu, Catriona Lockett
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