Hello TIS teams! Just a brief update from me this month. I really had to share an important new paper from the Next Generation Youth Wellbeing Study, led by Prof Sanda Eades AO. You might recall that Prof Eades was the inaugural winner of the Tom Calma Award at the Oceania Tobacco Control Conference held in the Gold Coast last October. This award recognised the impact of her work in tobacco control, which has transformed public health in Australia.

The most recent paper from this study describes several protective factors associated with not vaping among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth which can inform the activities of community programs like TIS.

We are also starting to see reports of falling vaping rates in young Australians. This decline is thought to be related to the anti-vaping laws introduced by the Australian Government last year.

Data from the SA Population Health Survey shows that vaping rates among 15 to 29-year-old South Australians have dropped by a third from 15% in 2023 to 10% in 2024. This means that 90% of young South Australians do not vape. During the same period suspensions for vaping in South Australian schools more than halved. You can read more of the report from the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) here.

A recent report from the Generation Vape study suggests this is a national trend. According to survey results from November 2024, 85% of young people aged 14 to 17 years had never vaped. This is the largest proportion of ‘never-vapers’ since the study began in 2022. The survey also found that:

• almost 94% of young people had never smoked
• most young people (82%) recognise vaping is unsafe
• the majority of young people (87%) agree that vaping can be addictive.

Take Home Message for TIS Teams

Recent Australian Government law changes are starting to block the tobacco industry’s attempts to attract young people to vaping. However, ongoing education is needed. Programs for young people need to be:

• Comprehensive: This includes addressing other harmful behaviours like smoking along with vaping, raising awareness of the harms of vaping and the benefits of smoke and vape free living.
• Holistic: Including a focus on the broader issues of adolescent health and wellbeing in activities.
• Strengths-based: Focusing on youth strengths and capabilities rather than deficits, centring positive resources and values like connection to culture, community and family.

Click on the thumbnail to the right to read Connie’s full update.

For more of Connie the Clever Cockie’s updates, visit the Tobacco Control News page.