The St Luke's Community Educated on the Dangers of Vaping
In a bid to confront the mounting challenges faced by schools due to the upward trend of vaping among teenagers, St Luke's College extended an invitation to Azelene Williams. The renowned health expert addressed students from Years 7 to 11 and our parents, shedding light on the critical issue of teen vaping.
During the presentation, Azelene delivered a wealth of eye-opening facts and figures surrounding the pervasive issue of vaping among adolescents. Additionally, she candidly shared her own personal experiences and health battles stemming from vaping. As part of her address, Azelene implored the young audience to conduct thorough research on vaping before succumbing to peer pressure and saying 'yes' to a vape.
One striking testimonial came from a Year 8 student who admitted her prior lack of awareness regarding the deliberate targeting of children and youth by major tobacco companies. This deceptive strategy becomes glaringly apparent through the branding, imagery, and enticing flavours of vape products. Names like 'Fruit Monster' and 'Berry Blast' are readily available and, disturbingly, contribute to normalising vaping in the eyes of impressionable adolescents.
Vaping has seamlessly integrated itself into the social fabric, often prominently featured on social media platforms where influencers glamorise it as a trendy and 'cool' activity. Equally concerning are the marketing ploys utilised by these companies, such as promoting so-called 'wellness packs' specifically aimed at tweens and teens – these packs, of course, include vaping devices.
What's perhaps most alarming is the revelation that a significant proportion of vapes contain nicotine, putting young individuals at risk of addiction. What shocked almost all our students was while products like 'Fruity Monster' and 'Berry Blast' may flaunt their flavours, the less-advertised contents of vapes include potentially harmful ingredients such as aluminium, lead, tin, pesticides, disinfectants, and a range of unidentified substances. Many of our students were oblivious that these substances were in vapes. The long-term health implications of these mystery components are still largely unknown.
The presentation with Azelene Williams highlighted the critical need for awareness and vigilance in combating the growing vaping epidemic among teenagers. Schools and communities are grappling with this pressing issue, and experts like Azelene continue to shed light on the dangers posed by these highly accessible and alluring products.
For more information on vaping please see the fact sheet and the link to the Four Corners episode.https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-27/vape-haze:-the-new-addiction-of-vaping/13948226
