School program ‘significantly’ preventing teen vaping

In a ‘major public health breakthrough’, Australia’s first randomised controlled trial of any school-based vaping prevention program has returned positive outcomes in reducing rates among adolescents, by empowering them to make informed choices.

Published in The Lancet, the OurFutures vaping prevention education trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a school-based intervention to prevent vaping among young people aged 12–14 years.
 
Across 40 secondary schools in three states, more than 5000 Year 7 and 8 students participated, with those who did showing to be 65% less likely to have used vapes after 12 months compared to those who did not participate, and no adverse events reported.
 
Additionally, 80% reported the information they learned will equip them to deal with vaping situations in the future.
 
RACGP Specific Interests Child and Young Person’s Health Chair, Dr Tim Jones, welcomed the latest findings on falling rates of vaping as another step forward.
 
‘This seems like a safe, low-cost program to increase awareness and lead to better outcomes,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘I’m supportive although I see it as one part of prevention rather than a breakthrough all by itself.’
 
Hailed by Minister for Health and Ageing Mark Butler as a ‘major public health breakthrough’, the Government-funded program will be rolled out across Australian secondary schools until 2028.
 
‘[This] program is helping young Australians make informed choices and resist the pressures of vaping,’ Minister Butler said.
 
‘It’s smart, scalable, and evidence shows that it works. This is exactly the kind of evidence-based, preventive action we need to protect the health of our kids.
 
‘Young people are turning away from vaping.’
 
Recent separate studies confirm that vaping rates are continuing to decline among young people, with recent, tighter Government regulations making an impact.

Dr Jones believes the GP–patient relationship also plays a key role in minimising the health harms from vaping.
 
‘GPs have a fantastic role to play translating the complex but concerning early data on vaping-related harm into a framework that our younger patients understand and will relate to,’ he said.
 
‘Our advice is trusted and contemporary on this topic.’
 
A recent newsGP poll of 644 respondents revealed 47% of GPs have not noticed a drop in vaping rates among teenagers during their consults over the last year, with 41% unsure, and just 11% saying they have noticed.
 
But more GPs might begin to see change, as Minister Butler wants every high school in Australia to ‘take advantage’ of the Government’s funding to roll out the OurFutures program to Year 7 and 8 students, designed to be delivered during health education class as a four-lesson education and skills-building program.
 
Dr Jones also supports a wider rollout, but says more insight is needed.
 
‘Rolling it out to schools is worthwhile but I think consultation with our varied schools and communities will be needed to individualise the message,’ he said.
 
‘We also need to make sure that young people aren’t turning from vapes to pouches – which this study doesn’t capture.’
 
OurFutures lead Dr Lauren Gardner from the University of Sydney said the program centres on an interactive online cartoon, co-designed with students and health education teachers.
 
‘Students’ voice is at the core of everything that we do,’ she said.
 
‘[The program gives] opportunities for students to really practice the skills they’ve learnt in the cartoon and think about how they can implement them in their own lives.
 
‘It’s really a full toolkit for schools that they can use.’
 
Dr Gardner said not only were students who received the intervention ‘significantly less likely’ to vape compared to those who received standard health education, they also had ‘significantly greater’ knowledge scores after completing the cartoon.
 
St Edmund’s College Year 9 student Nicholas Meszes participated in the program and said it helped him to understand more about the impacts of vapes on his body and emotions.
 
‘I’ve seen a lot more about how it impacts those around you, not just yourself. It was really good to get that opportunity,’ he said.
 
Fellow student Flynn Allan agreed.
 
‘The program helped a lot of people understand that vaping’s not good for you. You should never do it, and tell your friends that it’s just not good,’ he said.
 
‘It really reinforced my thinking of that because of the health risks associated with it.’
 
All secondary schools can register their interest to participate in the OurFutures vaping prevention program.
 
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