Anti-vaping campaign could see millions go up in smoke, experts warn
A pot of gold is on offer for whoever nabs a new $63 million public health campaign to discourage Aussies from vaping – but the opportunity to make a meaningful impact could be squandered, experts warn.
Last week’s federal budget included a sizeable spend as part of a broader range of measures to tackle skyrocketing rates of vaping, particularly among young people.
Industry figures say the money will be wasted if the same old shock-and-awe tactics employed in the past for smoking and road safety initiatives are recycled.
I love blowing some cheeky smoke clouds at my desk.
Takes the edge off and I feel cool around the young’ns.
My throat hurts.
The End.
If this is not stopped, 50 years from now we will have entire generations in which people can’t breathe air until it contains nicotine in water vapour.
The human race will be vaping 24/7
Classic old dinosaurs in government. They label the younger generation as ‘vain’ instead of identifying the causes of stress that may be driving people to use nicotine, alcohol and other drugs.
I’ll give you one: the housing crisis.
Oh no, it can’t be that. Gen Z’s just want a pretty, pink vape!!!
As housing has become more unaffordable over the last decade, tobacco use has fallen.
Gen Z is vaping as they don’t perceive it as bad for their health. It’s just flavoured water vapour.
This is similar to the 50% of all Australians who smoked tobacco in the 50s. It was not because of stress, it was thought to be harmless.
I remember sitting in transit at Istanbul Airport – six, seven years ago – a chap further along the counter furtively bringing something to his lips and then blowing out some smoke. An early vaper. We later realised. Last year on a railway station north of Sydney a bunch of teenagers (lads and lasses dressed for a night out) sharing pretty-coloured sticks amongst each other. Filling the air around their heads as they exhaled with clouds of vapour. Shocking to see – imagining the crap with which they were coating their insides and lungs. And then indulging on the train for the few stops till they got out. Our young people must be protected from “the Marlboro Man” of these times. There IS nothing cool in vaping.
Jim, your vivid narrative is truly ad agency-esque.