Australian schools are facing an unprecedented challenge as cigarette and vaping culture spreads rapidly among young students. The scale is alarming: vaping in 18–24-year-old Australians has significantly increased from 5.8% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, representing a dramatic surge that has forced schools to respond with comprehensive prevention programs.
The OurFutures Vaping Prevention Program: A Major Breakthrough
The federal government has announced a major public health breakthrough with the OurFutures Vaping Prevention Education program. A randomised controlled trial with more than 5,000 students across 40 schools found that students who participated were 65% less likely to have used vapes after 12 months in comparison to those who did not do the course. Additionally, 80% of participating students said the information they learned will certainly help them handle vaping situations in the future.
The program uses methods like cartoon-based stories, quizzes, and classroom activities to attract and inform students. It was co-designed with help of young people and teachers to fit the national curriculum, making it relevant and accessible. The OurFutures vaping program will be rolled out in schools across the country until 2028, reaching more than 3,000 schools.
What Schools Are Teaching Students
The program targets Year 7 and 8 students across the country, teaching them about the health risks of vaping, how to resist peer pressure, and how to support friends who are addicted. The animated course is delivered to students in four parts, with a focus on preparing students for real-world interactions they may have around vaping. The program is designed to educate young people about the real dangers of vapes but also give them the tools they need to say no.
Victoria’s Prevention Strategies
Victoria’s education system delivers vaping prevention in student drug and alcohol education as part of the Health and Physical Education curriculum. Quit Victoria has developed free primary and secondary school teaching resources that focus on vaping health and media literacy, critical thinking, and promoting community health. These materials have been prepared for adaptation to science, literacy, numeracy, civics and citizenship, and media arts curriculum areas.
States across Australia are also implementing comprehensive approaches. Schools join the Healthy Schools Achievement program, which provides a framework and resources for a whole-of-school approach to health and wellbeing, including smoking and vaping prevention.
Student Voice and Peer-Led Campaigns
Australian schools are engaging student voices to inform school vaping prevention strategies through student-led research, surveys, and peer-to-peer education. Young people respond well to peer-led behavioural change campaigns, making this approach particularly effective for reaching students who might otherwise dismiss traditional health messaging.
Parent and Carer Engagement
Schools are supporting and promoting parents and carers to talk about vaping with their children. Schools use resources to support conversations with families about vaping risks and prevention strategies. This community-wide approach ensures students receive consistent messaging both at school and at home.
Government’s Anti-Vaping Campaign with Influencers
The federal government has signed up nearly a dozen influencers with backgrounds in sport, gaming, lifestyle, and comedy to push a message that vaping and smoking are harmful, targeting Australians aged between 14 and 20. The government chose influencers like cricketer Ellyse Perry, gamer Jackbuzza, and comedian the Fairbairn Brothers because teenagers don’t watch TV or listen to health ministers, but they listen to these authentic voices.
State-Level Toolkit Programs
Western Australia created the WA Schools Anti-Vaping Toolkit, containing resources for school staff, students, parents, and carers to inform them of the adverse health impacts of vaping. The toolkit is targeted at secondary schools, particularly, but resources are useful for all schools and are made available to the public and non-government sectors.
The toolkit provides strategies to reduce vaping among students and offers guidance on how to incorporate discussions about vaping into the curriculum. Additionally, professional development opportunities for school staff have been created in collaboration with the Department of Health.
Whole-School Approach to Prevention
The South Coast Prevention Team supports secondary schools through the Smoke and Vape-Free Toolkit For Secondary Schools, which supports applying a whole-school approach to prevent vaping. This includes policy review, display of ‘No Smoking or Vaping’ signs, resources for parents and carers, and vaping prevention education resources.
The Vaping Small Group Education Program
The Vaping Small Group Education Program was a one-time education session for young people aged 12–18, enrolled in twelve selected schools. This program demonstrated that targeted, small-group interventions can effectively reach students who may be at risk of vaping initiation.
Government Reforms Supporting School Efforts
The Australian Government’s vaping reforms have successfully restricted the sale of vapes to young people. Therapeutic vapes are now kept behind the pharmacy counter instead of being available at corner stores and vape shops, where flavored products would attract school students. This regulatory change complements school-based education by reducing access.
Schools Taking Action Across Australia
Secondary schools throughout Australia can register their interest to participate in the OurFutures vaping program and sign up today. The program is based on the effective OurFutures prevention model, cutting through misinformation using a dedicated harm-minimisation and social influence approach to empower children to avoid vaping.
Making Informed Decisions
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Supporting Students Through Education
The comprehensive approach Australian schools are taking demonstrates that education, peer engagement, and family support can effectively reduce vaping rates among young people, creating healthier environments for the next generation.
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