Helping parents and guardians understand vaping

05 October 2023 9:16am

Parents and guardians who are keen to know more about a growing health risk for their young children and teenagers are encouraged to attend free information sessions supported by the City of Ballarat.

‘Vaping Decoded: Empowering parents in the vaping conversation’ is a free one-hour webinar aimed at parents who are eager to learn more about e-cigarettes and vaping.

The session is conducted by Blurred Minds, a team of Griffith University experts that helps engage students and parents with relevant and meaningful education about alcohol and drugs.

As part of the VicHealth Local Government Partnership, the City of Ballarat has partnered with Ballarat Community Health, Surf Coast Shire, Golden Plains Shire, Colac Area Health and Great Ocean Road Health to deliver the online sessions.

Statistics published by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation show that those using e-cigarettes are three times more likely to smoke tobacco than those who have not used e-cigarettes.

Recent data published by Quit also shows a three-fold increase in current tobacco smoking by 14 to 17-year-olds in just four years.

The City of Ballarat Health and Wellbeing Plan 2021-2031 details a plan to provide information and support for the community, particularly priority groups, to access services and screening and understand preventative health measures.

City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Des Hudson said the Council had identified vaping among young people as an issue that needed to be addressed.

“These sessions are really aimed at providing as much information as possible to parents who are concerned about the health of their children, or parents who just want to know more,” he said.

“Parents and guardians will really benefit from the sessions as they are interactive and gives them a chance to ask questions and engage with experts in the field.”

The sessions are all the same, but will be held on three different dates, offering flexibility: