The Hepburn Shire Council has joined a new $2m initiative to empower young people to say no to vaping.

Delivered by VicHealth, Vape-Free Victoria will see 29 local councils, 5 universities, 5 sporting bodies and teams, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation, Quit Victoria and the Victorian Government work together to support young people aged 14 to 25 to understand the harms of vaping.

The project aims to elevate the voices and experiences of young people through the UNCLOUD platform, giving them the opportunity to help create local solutions to address vaping. 

Mayor, Cr Brian Hood: “We are very pleased to be launching this important health initiative with the State Government and its various partners. We hope that our younger community members will take the chance to access this program, to understand the realities of vaping, and to share those learnings with their peers.”

VicHealth expect this project to encourage authentic peer-to-peer conversations.

Michelle Murray, Executive Manager Health Promotion Systems at VicHealth, said “We know that too many young Victorians started vaping because they weren’t aware of the harms – they had no warning.”

As part of Vape-Free Victoria, sporting bodies and teams including Swimming Victoria, Athletics Victoria, Melbourne Vipers, Deakin Melbourne Boomers and Hockey Club Melbourne, will share and promote the UNCLOUD platform at sporting carnivals, youth holiday programs, events, and across social media platforms.

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation will upskill coaches at sporting clubs across Victoria with vaping prevention and cessation education.

“Hopefully, as our youth and young people start to share their stories about the effects of vaping on their health, these true stories will go a long way to helping reduce the incidence of this harmful practice within our Shire,” said Cr Hood.

If you or someone you know needs support to stop vaping, contact Quit via phone, SMS, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger. For more details, visit quit.org.au. 

The state government is backing a new initiative that will see local councils, universities, sporting clubs and community organisations join forces to help stop young people vaping.

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas late last week announced a $2 million investment to deliver workshops, community events, and develop a peer-to-peer digital platform for young people aged 14 to 25 – to educate young people about the harms of vaping.

The two-year project will be delivered by the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) in partnership with UNCLOUD, a digital platform which provides peer-reviewed and scientifically backed information about vaping and allows young people to share their stories with each other. 

More than 30 local councils, including Macedon Ranges, Hepburn, Moorabool and Mount Alexander Shires, five sporting teams, and five universities will join the project by sharing the UNCLOUD platform at community events and activations. 

Sporting bodies and teams including Swimming Victoria, Athletics Victoria, Melbourne Vipers, Deakin Melbourne Boomers and Hockey Club Melbourne, will share and promote the UNCLOUD platform at sporting carnivals, youth holiday programs, events, and across social media platforms. 

As part of the project, the Alcohol and Drug Foundation will upskill coaches at sporting clubs across Victoria with anti-vaping education. 

Tertiary institutions including the University of Melbourne, Federation University, Monash University, Deakin University and Swinburne University of Technology, will use the funding to establish student advocates, while others will others will offer education and training on- site to health staff. 

VicHealth, Quit Victoria and the Department of Health will provide guidance and support to these organisations. The Victorian Government will continue to work with the Commonwealth and other states and territories on the implementation of the Therapeutic Goods and Other Legislation Amendment (Vaping Reforms) Bill 2024.

Banning retail sales and making vapes available only through pharmacies is expected to ultimately keep vapes out of children’s hands. 

Member for Macedon and Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas: “We know the impacts vaping has on our health and this initiative will allow young people to learn about the risks – empowering them to make health-led decisions.” 

“We’re working with sporting clubs, universities, and all of our local councils across Macedon to share anti-vaping messaging to the community.” 

Executive Manager, Health Promotion Systems at VicHealth Michelle Murray: “This initiative is about giving young people the tools to warn each other about vaping through real, authentic stories – because we know the best way to reach young people is through other young people.”